On Wednesday afternoon, Tampa Bay Rays’ veteran starter Nick Martinez turned in his best outing of the 2026 season. Facing the Cincinnati Reds, his former team that he spent the past two seasons with, Martinez hurled an eight-inning gem to lead the Rays to a 6-1 victory at Tropicana Field, helping them avoid a sweep. The right-hander allowed one run on five hits across eight dominant innings, walking one and striking out six en route to his first win of the year. He lowered his season ERA to 2.10. He threw first-pitch strikes to 23 of the 30 batters he faced, landing 71 of his 95 pitches for strikes. Nick Martinez dominated the Reds Apr 17, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Nick Martinez (28) delivers a pitch to the Pittsburgh Pirates during the second inning at PNC Park. | Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images Perhaps more importantly, he helped preserve a bullpen in need of rest after short outings from Tampa Bay starters the previous two days.…