Nick Martinez Returns to Yankee Stadium as Rays Seek ALDS Sweep in Game 3

ST. PETERSBURG — Nick Martinez has experienced Yankee Stadium from both sides of the railing, and neither perspective has intimidated him. The Tampa Bay Rays right-hander, who will start ALDS Game 3 against the New York Yankees on Wednesday night, once got ejected from the Bronx ballpark as a college student. Now he has a chance to pitch his team into the American League Championship Series.

Martinez, 36, went 15-6 with a 3.10 ERA over 180 innings in 31 starts during his first season with Tampa Bay. He was especially effective on the road, posting a 2.38 ERA in 16 starts away from Tropicana Field. In two regular-season outings at Yankee Stadium this year, he held the Yankees to three runs across 12 innings.

The Rays lead the best-of-five ALDS 2-0 after winning the first two games at home. A victory Wednesday would give Tampa Bay its first ALCS appearance since 2020.

A memorable ejection

Martinez’s history with Yankee Stadium predates his professional career. During his junior year at Fordham University in New York, he and a roommate attended a game against the Boston Red Sox after a canceled practice. The evening ended early.

“Might have had a few too many adult beverages. Got kicked out. Yeah,” Martinez said in May, recalling the incident. “They were playing the Red Sox, so it was rowdy. We were kinda rowdy.”

He was not banned permanently. In July 2014, he returned as a rookie starter for the Texas Rangers. Now he returns as the veteran leader of a Rays clubhouse that credits him as a driving force behind the team’s chemistry.

Clubhouse impact beyond the mound

Teammates describe Martinez as the emotional anchor of the roster. Designated hitter Yandy Díaz called him “the best in the world” as a teammate and person. Left fielder Chandler Simpson said his influence is “second to none.”

“A 1A clubhouse guy in my career, and I could give him all the credit for most everything that’s happened this year,” shortstop Taylor Walls said. “He’s the same guy no matter where you see him at. Takes care of you. Takes care of everybody. Just positive. Always a smile on his face.”

Martinez signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent in mid-February after spending the previous two seasons with the San Diego Padres. He made his first All-Star team this season and finished with 3.9 wins above replacement, according to Baseball Reference.

Key facts

What a win would mean

A Rays victory Wednesday would clinch a playoff series win over the Yankees for the first time since 2020, when Tampa Bay won the ALDS in five games en route to a World Series appearance. The Rays have not reached the ALCS since that season.

New York, which won the AL East with 97 wins, faces elimination at home. The Yankees have not lost a postseason series at Yankee Stadium since the 2019 ALCS.

Game 3 is scheduled for 7:08 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium. The Rays have not announced a starter beyond Martinez. The Yankees will counter with right-hander Clarke Schmidt, who went 12-8 with a 3.85 ERA in the regular season.

Source: MLB.com, “Martinez once got booted from Yankee Stadium. Now he could help boot Yanks in Game 3” — https://www.mlb.com/news/nick-martinez-rays-starter-game-3-2026-alds-yankees