​ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – JULY 25: Nick Martinez #28 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches in the top of the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Tropicana Field on July 25, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Parker S. Freedman/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Rays entered Friday’s game with a three-game lead in the AL East, after the Yankees beat the Cubs in an afternoon affair at Wrigley Field, By the end of Friday’s game, which saw the division lead cut to 2.5, the last completed trade was AJ Minter to the Twins. There is now less than three days until Monday’s 6 pm deadline. Nick Martinez took the mound for the Rays, and it wasn’t a night to remember for the All-Star pitcher. He gave up six runs over six innings, all of them coming on four White Sox home runs. It’s a scary thought to think about Martinez, who doesn’t have overpowering stuff, facing teams like this in a postseason setting. There’s still time to bolster this rotation, Erik. The one bright spot for the Rays on Friday night was Junior Caminero hitting his 30th home run of the season. He’s on pace to reach the 40 mark for a second straight season. Alex Cook, who replaced Shane McClanahan on the active roster, made his Major League debut, pitching the seventh and eighth innings. Cook walked a pair and didn’t record any strikeouts, but kept the White Sox off the board in his two innings of work. He leaned on his fastball, throwing it 76% of the time, occasionally mixing in a slider and changeup. In Durham this season, Cook has thrown 33.1 innings with a 3.78 ERA.The division race is far from decided, but tonight’s loss is a reminder that reinforcements are needed. Like the rest of the league, the Rays are waiting for the few sellers to budge and for the dam to burst before Monday’s deadline.