Pedro (1-hitter over 8 innings), Hillenbrand the stars
The
outcome of last night's game was almost secondary.
That's the way it has been for the Boston Red Sox every time Pedro
Martinez has stepped onto the mound this season.
The focus is on how Pedro is throwing, knowing that the three-time Cy
Young Award winner is feeling his way along during the early stages of
this year, searching for peace of mind that the frayed right rotator
cuff that shortened his 2001 season is healthy enough to allow him to
cut loose.
Here's a bulletin for the American League and Red Sox fans -- Pedro
Martinez is fine, and he believes it.
Last night, Martinez made his fourth start of the year, and the 300th
appearance of his major-league career.
And while he didn't blow away the Royals, Martinez was masterful and
efficient in limiting Kansas City to one hit -- a fourth-inning looping
single by Mike Sweeney -- and only two baserunners in his eight-inning,
94-pitch breeze as the Red Sox tumbled the Royals, 4-0, at Kauffman
Stadium.
Martinez didn't exactly get backed by overwhelming offensive support,
but Shea Hillenbrand's two-out three-run triple in the sixth snapped a
scoreless tie. And that was enough offense, as the Red Sox won their
fourth in a row and sixth in the last seven games in improving to 10-4.
Martinez's record jumped to 2-0 while his earned-run average dipped from
6.91 to 4.43.
"I think he's getting real close to getting right back to where we want
to see him," said Boston manager Grady Little. "Everything was working
for him. He was throwing the ball as well as he has in a long time. He's
getting his confidence back, not only that his arm won't hurt anymore,
but the command of his game."
"His ball was sinking and cutting real good," said Johnny Damon, who had
a good view from his spot in center field. "His velocity was back. He
was hitting his spots left and right. He was perfect. Red Sox fans can
breathe a sigh of relief now."
Even Martinez seemed pleased with his effort, though he continues to
insist he remains a work in progress.
"I'm still an old goat, who had a good game," said Martinez, who turned
30 in the offseason, with a satisfied smile. "I had pretty good command.
I'm happy with the way everything went. I think I'm making improvement
every time out. That's what I want to do.
"But I have to continue to work," said Martinez, who retired the final
13 batters he faced. "If I keep improving, I'm going to be okay for the
season. It's not one game I'm looking for, but consistency. That's what
will get me back to where I belong."
If it hadn't been for an error by Martinez in the fourth, the
right-hander might have been flirting with a perfect game. But with two
outs in the fourth, Martinez was unable to hold a throw from Tony Clark
after the first baseman had made a diving stop on Carlos Beltran's
bouncer to the right side. Beltran was the Royals' first baserunner.
Sweeney was up next, and he dunked an 0-and-1 pitch into right-center
for a clean single, sending Beltran to third.
"It was a good cutter on the outside," said Martinez. "He probably hit a
pitcher's pitch. I broke his bat. But he's a very good hitter and he
managed to make contact."
Suddenly, any no-hit drama evaporated, but the game, which was tied at
0-0, was in the balance.
Martinez, however, fanned Michael Tucker on three pitches, the last of
which was a devastating changeup on the outside corner. Tucker tried to
hold up, but the ball ticked off his bat and landed safely in the glove
of catcher Jason Varitek for the inning-ending punchout.
It was only his third strikeout of the game, but it was a momentous
whiff for Martinez, the 2000th of his career.
That achievement thrilled him as much as his 20-win season (23-4 in
1999), and for similar reasons, dating back to his early big-league days
when he broke in with Los Angeles. The Dodgers shipped him to the
bullpen because they didn't think his relatively small frame would allow
him to be a healthy, consistent winning starting pitcher.
"That's one of the biggest of my career for someone who couldn't pitch
five innings as a starter. That's a huge milestone. It fills me up with
pride. It's like the 20 wins. It's something to be proud of. I adore
those things because a lot of people doubted me," said Pedro, of
notching his 2,000th strikeout.
Overall, Martinez notched only six strikeouts. The Royals were hacking
early in the count, and they hit very few balls hard as Martinez mixed
in all his pitches to great effect, even his curveball, which had been
missing in action. Martinez had former Sox player Donnie Sadler's knees
buckling on a strikeout in the sixth, for instance.
Of course, despite Martinez's brilliant display of pitching, the Sox had
to find a way to score. And that proved difficult against rookie
left-hander Chris George, called up from the minors to shore up an
injury-depleted rotation.
Eventually, a tough nine-pitch at-bat by Clark ended with a walk,
filling the bases in the sixth against reliever Blake Stein. And
Hillenbrand, battling back from 0-and-2 to a full count, crushed his
game-winning drive off the fence in right-center, giving Pedro a 3-0
cushion.
And on this encouraging night, that was plenty.
