Martinez Secures 15th Victory
Nick Martinez claimed his 15th win of the season as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Athletics 4-3 on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. The matchup took place at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, in front of a crowd of 14,552. Martinez recorded the win with a record of 15-4, while Brady Basso took the loss, dropping to 1-3.
The result improved the Rays' record to 92-59 and left the Athletics at 61-91.
Early Offense Sets Tone
The Rays established an early lead that they never relinquished. In the first inning, the home team scored two runs. DeLuca hit a double to left field, allowing Caminero to score.
Shortly after, Simpson doubled to right field, bringing home DeLuca. The offensive surge continued into the second inning. Fortes doubled to left field, scoring Mateo, and Vilade singled to left field to drive in Fortes.
This sequence gave Tampa Bay a 4-0 lead after two frames.
Athletics Strike Back
The Athletics attempted to answer in the third inning. White hit a home run to left field, traveling 347 feet, to cut the deficit to one run. Bolte followed with a home run to center field, measuring 414 feet, to narrow the gap to 4-2.
In the sixth inning, Langeliers singled to center field, enabling McNeil to score and make it 4-3. The Athletics failed to score again for the remainder of the game.
Pitching Performance
Martinez pitched five innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs while striking out three batters. He did not walk anyone. Brady Basso started for the Athletics, pitching 2.2 innings.
He allowed seven hits and four earned runs, with no walks and no strikeouts. Kevin Kelly pitched two innings, allowing three hits and one earned run while striking out four batters. Cam Booser pitched one inning, allowing no hits, no earned runs, and one strikeout.
Cole Sulser pitched one inning, allowing no hits, no earned runs, and no strikeouts. The bullpen successfully closed out the game for the Rays.
Sources
ESPN
