Guardians to open with Armstrong; Rays start Martinez in ALCS Game 4 — SkimNews
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- Shawn Armstrong will open for Cleveland and Nick Martinez will start for Tampa Bay in ALCS Game 4 on Friday night, with the Guardians holding a 2-1 series lead after Petey Halpin's two-run homer delivered a 3-2 Game 3 win Thursday.
- Both clubs delayed announcing pitching plans because of forecasted rain in Cleveland; the start time was pushed to 8 p.m. ET and there is an 8-11 p.m. ET window in which to play, though an ALCS game has not been postponed since the Yankees hosted the Astros in 2019.
- Armstrong is making his fifth postseason appearance in what will be a bullpen game for Cleveland, having allowed just one hit in 5⅓ innings with five strikeouts this postseason — a run he almost did not get, having suffered a calf strain in late July before returning in the final week of the regular season.
- Armstrong was drafted by Cleveland in the 18th round in 2011, debuted in the majors four years later, was traded to Seattle in 2017, and bounced through four other organizations — including Tampa Bay — before re-signing with the Guardians this season.
- Martinez went 15-6 with a 3.10 ERA (sixth in the AL) during the regular season, ranked third in the AL with 26 starts allowing three runs or fewer, and last appeared in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Yankees (3⅔ innings, two runs, five hits, three strikeouts).
Why it matters: Cleveland will lean on a bullpen game anchored by Armstrong — a pitcher the organization originally drafted in 2011, then lost and got back — while Tampa Bay turns to a 15-game winner in Martinez, and the Guardians' 2-1 series lead means the margin for a rain-induced postponement is razor-thin given an ALCS rainout has not occurred since 2019.
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