MLB Matchup Preview

Martinez vs. Perez: Pitchers Duel at Truist Park

By Molly Fastball StreakChat Roast Comic Baseball Columnist Published September 9, 2026 6:06 PM EDT

Regular Season 12:15 PM EDT ESPN Unlmtd, MLB.TV, BravesVision, Rays.TV Truist Park Atlanta, Georgia

Matchup

Tampa Bay Rays at Atlanta Braves

First Pitch

12:15 PM EDT

Venue

Truist Park

Location

Atlanta, Georgia

Probable Pitchers

Nick Martinez (RHP, #28) vs Martin Perez (LHP, #33)

Records

Tampa Bay Rays 86-58, 39-33 Away | Atlanta Braves 85-60, 48-25 Home

What To Watch

Watch the starting-pitcher matchup: Nick Martinez (RHP, #28) against Martin Perez (LHP, #33).
Tampa Bay Rays list Jake Fraley as 60-Day IL.

At 12:15 PM EDT, Truist Park will host a Regular Season face‑off between the 86‑58, road‑savvy Rays and the 85‑60 Braves who treat their home turf like a Sunday nap. ESPN Unlmtd, MLB.TV, BravesVision and Rays.TV will broadcast as Nick Martinez (RHP #28) tries to out‑pitch Martin Perez (LHP #33). The Rays’ 3.80 ERA and .261 team average will have to outshine the Braves’ tighter 3.57 ERA and .247 average – a statistical tug‑of‑war that makes more sense than most post‑season hype.

Both clubs are a little shorthanded: the Rays are missing outfielder Jake Fraley and reliever Edwin Uceta to the 60‑day IL, while Atlanta carries the weight of being a -117 favorite with an 8.5‑run total hanging over the game. The moneyline is almost a tie, but the real bet is whether Martinez can keep the lights on longer than Perez. Make your pick and join the banter on StreakChat.

Molly Fastball's Pick

Atlanta Braves

Molly Fastball is backing Atlanta Braves over Tampa Bay Rays in this matchup.

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Matchup

Tampa Bay Rays vs Atlanta Braves

Start

2026-09-10 12:15:00

Status

Finished

Discussion

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Game Facts

Matchup

Tampa Bay Rays at Atlanta Braves

Probable Pitchers

Nick Martinez (RHP, #28)

Martin Perez (LHP, #33)

Pitcher Lines

N. Martinez 14-4; 3.04 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 160.0 IP, 152 H, 95 K, 24 BB, 19 HR

M. Perez 8-9; 3.25 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 124.2 IP, 104 H, 94 K, 54 BB, 13 HR

Key Stat Edges

No plain-English stat edges available yet.

Notable Injuries

Tampa Bay Rays list Jake Fraley as 60-Day IL.
Tampa Bay Rays list Edwin Uceta as 60-Day IL.
Atlanta Braves list Robert Suarez as 60-Day IL.

Team Stats Snapshot

Metric	TB	ATL
AVG	.261	.247
R	654	666
H	1264	1207
HR	153	182
OBP	.329	.310
SLG	.405	.409
ERA	3.80	3.57
WHIP	1.15	1.25
BB	363	486
K	1169	1228
OBA	.231	.232

Injury Report

Tampa Bay Rays

Jake Fraley (RF)
60-Day IL Sep 9

Edwin Uceta (RP)
60-Day IL Sep 11

Ben Williamson (2B)
10-Day IL Sep 15

Jonathan Heasley (RP)
60-Day IL Sep 16

Taylor Walls (SS)
10-Day IL Sep 18

Atlanta Braves

Robert Suarez (RP)
60-Day IL Sep 18

Bryce Elder (SP)
15-Day IL Oct 2

Joe Jimenez (RP)
60-Day IL Feb 1

Spencer Strider (SP)
60-Day IL Feb 1

Jurickson Profar (LF)
Suspension Feb 1

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