Tampa Bay Rays at Toronto Blue Jays

After seeing their starters struggle throughout a long weekend in Boston, the Rays sent the right man to the mound on Monday night. Fresh off his first trip to the All-Star Game last week, veteran right-hander Nick Martinez brought the energy the Rays needed. He paced the dugout, as usual, saying he was “trying to get the boys going.” He stayed on the attack all night. And he did what he’s done best all season for Tampa Bay. Win. The Rays’ rotation anchor and clubhouse leader held the Blue Jays to one run over six innings, setting the tone in a 7-1 win over Toronto at Rogers Centre that put an end to Tampa Bay’s five-game losing streak. “He’s been huge for us all season long,” manager Kevin Cash said. “We needed a really good start. He gave us one.” The Rays’ first victory since July 11 improved their record to 15-4 behind Martinez this season. Interestingly, they are also 6-1 when the 35-year-old takes the mound for them after a loss. That felt relevant on Monday, as the Rays were looking for someone to help them reset after four straight games up against the Red Sox buzzsaw.