Nick Martinez celebrates his first All-Star invitation in style as Rays beat Mariners, 7-2

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - His career has seen far more days in the past than in the future.

His fastball is an oxymoron, and his strikeout ratio is as low as it's been in a decade. When he had to sprint across the field to cover first base against the Mariners, his catcher burned a timeout just to give him a breather on the mound.

Yes, time is catching up to Nick Martinez on the ballfield.

And the old man has never looked better.

The Rays right-hander celebrated his first All-Star invitation on Friday night with a typically efficient five-plus-inning outing in a 7-2 Tampa Bay victory over Seattle in front of an announced crowd of 15,568 at Tropicana Field.

Martinez, 35, got a warm reception from the crowd behind the Rays dugout when he was removed with one out in the sixth, but it wasn't the first ovation he heard this week. When manager Kevin Cash informed the team on Thursday that Martinez had been added to the American League All-Star team as a replacement for injured Boston starter Ranger Suarez, the clubhouse erupted in cheers that could be heard in the hallway outside.

Before the Rays signed Martinez to a free-agent deal in the offseason, Cash talked to Reds manager Terry Francona about what to expect from the veteran swing man.

"Tito was very complimentary of Nick. High praise when he says he's one of my all-time favorites, given how many players Tito's managed over the years," Cash said. "One phone call, Zoom call, you could tell the kind of ‘I'll do anything' approach that (Martinez) takes. A lot of people say that, but they don't necessarily back that up.

"I feel Nick has been that and then some. Learning on the fly, getting to know him a little bit in spring training and just how he's dealt with his success - and the little times that he's had adversity how he's dealt with that - shows the quality of person he is."

That was evident in the clubhouse as well with player after player singing Martinez's praises prior to the game.

He then went out on the field and continued to embellish what is looking like a career year. Martinez faced the minimum number of hitters through three innings and pitched into the sixth for the sixth consecutive outing. He's now 8-2 with a 2.65 ERA.

The Rays played a complete game behind Martinez on Friday, with Junior Caminero, Cedric Mullins, Richie Palacios and Victor Mesa Jr. hitting home runs, and Caminero, Taylor Walls and Jonathan Aranda adding highlight-worthy plays in the field.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published July 10, 2026 at 10:23 PM.