Tampa Bay Rays at Colorado Rockies

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
TB	2	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	4	5	0
COL	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	0

Wednesday's finale in Denver came down to a mound matchup between two arms having genuinely solid years: Nick Martinez, in at 10-3 with a 2.65 ERA, against Tomoyuki Sugano, working an 11-4 mark despite a rougher 4.51 ERA. Martinez had been roughed up in his prior outing, giving up 6 earned runs over 6 innings against the White Sox, while Sugano was coming off a strong turn against Kansas City, allowing just 1 earned run in 6.2 innings. Neither history mattered much once the 1:10 PM MT first pitch dropped.

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FINAL

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ML

Total

Rays(67-46)

WWLWL

4

-1.5-102-150o11.5+120

Rockies(45-69)

LLWWW

0

+1.5-100+147u11.5-117

Best BetRays -163

Postgame

The pick cashed comfortably — Martinez outdueled Sugano and Tampa Bay never let this one get interesting. The bear case about Colorado's recent form and Sugano's momentum never showed up; Sugano lasted only 5 innings and allowed 3 runs. A clean, correct read.

Pregame

Tampa Bay's the play here even at a heavier price — Martinez has been one of the more consistent arms in the league outside one bad start, and this offense has torched Colorado's pitching for 13 and 9 runs the last two games. The Rockies get a boost from Sugano being on his best run of the year, but a last-place team facing a contender's ace still isn't where you want to be siding against the field.

Both rosters are banged up in ways that shape who's actually available. Tampa Bay is without outfielder Jake Fraley (hernia, 60-day IL) and has burned through bullpen arms with Cole Sulser and Manuel Rodriguez also sidelined. Colorado's damage runs deeper — Kris Bryant remains out indefinitely with back trouble, and the rotation has lost both Jose Quintana and Chase Dollander for extended stretches, which explains why Sugano's workload has carried extra weight all year. None of that stopped the market from installing Tampa Bay as a clear favorite going in.

Nick Martinez

(12-4)·3.05 ERA

Jul 31 vs White Sox

L

6.0IP

6ER

2K

0BB

77P

08/05 Lineup

Tomoyuki Sugano

(12-6)·4.70 ERA

Jul 31 vs Royals

W

6.2IP

1ER

2K

0BB

83P

08/05 Lineup

The Rays didn't wait around. Victor Mesa Jr. tripled in the first inning and came around to score on a Jonathan Aranda single, part of a two-run first built on back-to-back singles from Aranda and Simpson. Junior Caminero put it away in the third with a 449-foot homer to left, the kind of swing that turns a lead into a laugher.

From there it was about the bullpen holding serve. Martinez worked 5.2 innings, allowing 6 hits but zero earned runs with 4 strikeouts, and Tampa Bay's relief trio of Wells, Cleavinger and Booser slammed the door with 3.1 scoreless innings and 6 strikeouts combined. Sugano's final line — 5 innings, 5 hits, 3 earned runs — was respectable, but it wasn't enough against a lineup that never let him settle.

Tampa Bay Rays

(67-46)

Aug 5W@ Rockies9-7

Aug 4W@ Rockies13-9

Aug 2Lvs White Sox1-9

Aug 1Wvs White Sox1-0

Jul 31Lvs White Sox1-6

Colorado Rockies

(45-69)

Aug 5Lvs Rays7-9

Aug 4Lvs Rays9-13

Aug 2Wvs Royals8-1

Aug 2Wvs Royals12-6

Aug 1Wvs Royals3-1

The sweep pushes Tampa Bay to 68-46 and reinforces a roster that's finding contributions up and down the order even with regulars like Fraley out of the picture. Colorado drops to 45-70, a stretch where the absence of multiple rotation arms keeps piling pressure onto whoever's left standing on the mound.

Tampa Bay Rays

(9)

• 15-Day-ILShane McClanahan (SP) — McClanahan was pulled from Thursday's start versus the Rangers in the fourth inning with left mid-back tightness, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.07/31
• 15-Day-ILCole Sulser (RP) — The Rays placed Sulser on the 15-day injured list Wednesday due to lower back spasms.07/29
• 60-Day-ILJake Fraley (RF) — The Rays transferred Fraley (hernia) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Sunday.08/02
• 60-Day-ILManuel Rodriguez (RP) — Rodriguez (elbow) began a rehab assignment in the rookie-level Florida Complex League on Thursday, giving up a solo home run and striking out three in one inning.07/24
• 60-Day-ILGavin Lux (LF) — Lux (shoulder) was pulled off his rehab assignment earlier this week, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.07/17
• 60-Day-ILSteven Wilson (RP) — Wilson (back) has been sent to the rookie-level Florida Complex League to begin a rehab assignment.07/10
• 60-Day-ILEdwin Uceta (RP) — Rays manager Kevin Cash said Monday that Uceta has yet to resume throwing and will meet with a doctor to have his nagging right shoulder injury examined, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.07/06
• 60-Day-ILJonathan Heasley (RP) — Heasley was returned to the major-league roster and placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a right elbow stress reaction.06/08
• 60-Day-ILRyan Pepiot (SP) — Pepiot will undergo surgery on his right hip May 13 and miss the rest of the 2026 season, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.05/08

Colorado Rockies

(10)

• 15-Day-ILJeff Criswell (RP) — The Rockies recalled Criswell from Triple-A Albuquerque on Saturday.07/18
• 15-Day-ILBlas Castano (RP) — Castano (pectoral) is expected to begin a throwing program next week, MLB.com reports.07/03
• 15-Day-ILJaden Hill (RP) — Hill (shoulder) resumed playing catch Wednesday, MLB.com reports.07/02
• 60-Day-ILJose Quintana (SP) — Quintana (elbow) is set to throw a bullpen session during the week of Aug. 3, MLB.com reports.08/01
• 60-Day-ILChase Dollander (SP) — Dollander underwent an internal brace procedure on his right elbow Monday, Kevin Henry of The Denver Gazette reports.06/23
• 60-Day-ILWelinton Herrera (RP) — Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer announced Monday that Herrera (elbow) has been diagnosed with a torn UCL and will miss the remainder of the season, Jack Janes of MLB.com reports.06/02
• 60-Day-ILMcCade Brown (SP) — Brown (shoulder) had been scheduled to throw a live bullpen session this weekend, MLB.com reports.06/01
• 60-Day-ILRJ Petit (RP) — The Rockies transferred Petit (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Thursday, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.05/08
• 60-Day-ILPierson Ohl (RP) — The Rockies placed Ohl (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.05/08
• 60-Day-ILKris Bryant (DH) — Bryant said Tuesday that the ongoing pain in his back continues to prevent him from participating in baseball activities, though he's still consulting with doctors and trainers for potential rehab options, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.05/08