Padres RHP Nick Martinez Continues To Shine in The Rotation
The Padres' ended their three-game losing streak on Wednesday and defeated the Atlanta Braves 1-0. The offense was still not up to par, but they did just enough to eke out the win.
Padres superstar Juan Soto blasted a ball to right center field for a solo homer, and that's all they need, thanks to a stellar performance by Nick Martinez.
Martinez made his first fourth start of the season, and it was his best yet. The 32-year-old went seven innings strong and only allowed three hits, two walks, six strikeouts, and allowed zero runs. Padres right Joe Musgrove will be returning to the rotation starting on Saturday, and with his return, there could be some complications with the rotation.
Padres skipper Bob Melvin realizes that but is still not sure what he's planning on doing, as he said on Wednesday.
“Could complicate it,” Melvin said. “I’m not sure. We’re just focused on today’s game. We’ll figure it out as we go along. He’s obviously going to be down for at least a few days, probably three or four at least. If it’s a bullpen thing, we’ll see. If (he) continues in the rotation, not really sure yet. It’s something to talk about.”
Martinez's numbers don't pop out at you, but his recent outing put everyone on notice. Overall, he's 1-1 with a 4.01 ERA, 17 strikeouts, and a 1.22 WHIP in 24.2 innings pitched. He made a handful of starts last season before taking a role from the bullpen, and there is a likely hood that could happen again for the righty pitcher. Nonetheless, Nick wants some communication between the team and himself.
“Again, I’ve been very clear from the beginning that I want to win a World Series,” he said. “… As long as the communication is there, it makes it easy for me to go out there and bust my (butt) if I know what my direction is, what my goal is, what my objective is.”
Transparency is key for Martinez. We'll see how Melvin deals with it.
