Tampa Bay Rays at Colorado Rockies

There were plans being made early Wednesday for the Rays to enjoy a post-flight dinner in Seattle. Team dinners are hardly out of the ordinary for this tight-knit group, especially on the first night in a new city, but this one was meant to mark a special occasion. Nick Martinez turned 36 years old on Wednesday. But before the Rays could properly celebrate their veteran clubhouse leader and All-Star rotation anchor, he gave them a couple gifts of his own: a shutout and a sweep. Martinez pitched 5 2/3 excellent innings in the Rays’ 4-0 win over the Rockies on Wednesday afternoon, their fifth shutout in the last 11 games and their 11th overall, to seal Tampa Bay’s Major League-leading 11th series sweep of the season and the club’s first one ever at Coors Field. "Very impressive,” manager Kevin Cash said after the Rays’ 12th win in their last 16 games. “It’s tough to pitch a shutout here, for sure. And Nick set the tone.” The Rays always rave about what Martinez has brought to their team this season, both on and off the field, but it seemed fitting for that to be the case on this particular afternoon. It was Martinez’s fourth time pitching in the Majors on his birthday -- and his fourth win. In three career starts and one relief appearance on Aug. 5, the right-hander is now 4-0 with just one run allowed in 17 2/3 innings (0.51 ERA). “A shutout and a sweep on a birthday is about as good as it gets,” Martinez said. With Martinez coming off a tough outing against the White Sox and the Rays having burned through their bullpen during an 11-inning marathon on Tuesday night, it was just another huge performance in a season full of them. He leaned heavily on his changeup, his best pitch and the one least affected by Denver’s mile-high altitude, while allowing only six hits and striking out four. Tampa Bay improved to 17-5 with Martinez on the mound, and he picked up his career-high-tying 11th win while lowering his ERA to 2.65, fourth-best among qualified American League pitchers.