The Tampa Bay Rays head to Truist Park in Cumberland, Georgia, on Thursday, September 10, 2026, for a noon matinee against the Atlanta Braves, with first pitch set for 12:15 PM ET. Nick Martinez gets the ball for Tampa Bay opposite Atlanta's Martín Pérez in what shapes up as a classic late-regular-season test on the road. With September already in full swing and roster stakes high across the AL, this is not a game the Rays can afford to sleepwalk through against a Braves lineup that includes Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, and Austin Riley. Watch on Rays.TV or tune in on WDAE 95.7 FM.

Pitching Matchup: Nick Martinez vs. Martín Pérez

Nick Martinez draws the assignment for the Rays. Martinez is a seasoned arm who can work multiple pitch types and mix his way through a lineup, but he will be tested immediately by a Braves order constructed with real middle-of-the-lineup thump. Working ahead in counts and limiting hard contact will be the formula — the Braves do not hand out free passes lightly.

On the other side, Atlanta sends left-hander Martín Pérez to the hill. Pérez is a crafty veteran who relies on command and changing speeds rather than overpowering hitters. That profile can give aggressive, free-swinging lineups trouble, so the Rays' approach at the plate will matter as much as any other single factor in this game.

Atlanta Braves Starting Lineup to Watch

• Drake Baldwin (C, leadoff): An unconventional choice at the top of the order, Baldwin sets the table and will draw early attention from Martinez.
• Ronald Acuña Jr. (RF, 2): One of the most dangerous hitters in baseball when healthy, Acuña in the two-hole gives Atlanta an immediate on-base threat with pop to follow in spots three and four.
• Matt Olson (1B, 3): A legitimate middle-of-the-order force with power to all fields. Martinez cannot afford to be too predictable when Olson digs in.
• Michael Harris II (CF, 4): Batting cleanup, Harris is a two-way weapon whose athleticism creates problems for any pitching staff.
• Austin Riley (3B, 7): Even dropping to seventh in the order, Riley remains dangerous. Do not let a soft spot in the batting order fool anyone — he can change a game in one swing.

Keys to the Game for Tampa Bay

• Martinez must work through the Braves' lineup efficiently. Atlanta is stacked top to bottom. Deep counts and base-on-balls will turn this into a short, difficult day.
• Neutralize Acuña early. Getting Acuña out in his first one or two plate appearances limits Atlanta's ability to manufacture runs before the heart of the order does damage.
• Force Pérez to throw strikes. The Rays' best path against a soft-tossing veteran is patient at-bats that run up his pitch count and expose him to the bullpen.
• Take care of the baseball. On the road in September, errors and mental mistakes turn winnable games into losses quickly.

Prediction

This one sets up as a tight, low-scoring affair given both starters' profiles. The Braves' lineup depth is a legitimate obstacle, and Truist Park is no easy venue. Still, if Martinez can hold Atlanta to two or three runs through five or six innings and the Rays' offense shows patience against Pérez, Tampa Bay has a real shot to steal one on the road. Call it a 4-3 game that goes down to the final few outs — the kind of September contest that separates contenders from pretenders. Edge, very slightly, to Atlanta at home, but the Rays are capable of flipping that script.