The middle game of this set plays out Saturday before Sunday's finale, so however that one goes will shape which bullpen arms are fresh and which starters are running on tired legs by the time these two get back at it.
Tampa Bay came into the weekend as the AL East's best team by record, and that's the story of their season more than any single series — a deep roster that's weathered a rotating cast of hurt relievers and kept winning anyway. Martinez has been the anchor of that, a 12-4 arm with a 3.05 ERA, though his last time out was a mess: 6 earned runs in 3.2 innings against Toronto.
Baltimore's season, by contrast, is mostly about evaluating what they've got. At 62-67 they're not chasing anything in the standings, but Baz gave them a reason to feel good about the rotation his last time out, striking out 10 Yankees over 6.1 innings even in a losing effort. It's the kind of start that doesn't move his record — he's 4-13 on the year — but shows the stuff is still there.
The injury lists on both sides read like a midseason attrition report at this point, and neither team is getting its full bullpen back for this one. Whoever's ahead in the seventh inning Sunday is likely to find out just how thin both pens have gotten by late August.