SEATTLE --
The news had been dark as the day was sunny here in the Pacific Northwest. The road trip had gone from seven straight wins to back-to-back losses. But if those consecutive defeats cast a shadow on the Red Sox, then the news that their best run producer could be lost until July nearly put them in an eclipse.
Who better, then, to reverse their fortunes than Pedro Martinez, merely the best at applying the brakes, particularly when the breaks suddenly aren't going your way?
Martinez limited the Seattle Mariners to four hits over eight innings while striking out a season-high 12 last night as the Sox salvaged the final game of their series here, 10-4, and finished their 10-game road trip on a decidedly upbeat note. The Sox went 8-2 on their three-city journey.
"I think Pedro sensed (the significance of the game)," said Brian Daubach. "From the first inning on, he established his fastball. He put the team on his shoulders. I think he sensed we had to win this game. Obviously, it's only May. But we needed to get our confidence back."
"I was just trying to pick up the team," Martinez said, "and keep it right. We didn't want the losing streak to get too long. My job today was to pick up the team and go home with a win and a good sensation."
Red Sox hitters, meanwhile, signaled they were eager to pick up the slack for their fallen slugger, Manny Ramirez, by bashing out 16 hits, tying the Anaheim Angels for the most against the Mariners in a game this season.
In an even distribution of the offensive load, every starter except Johnny Damon collected at least one hit, and seven of the nine drove in runs.
"Nobody can replace Manny Ramirez by himself," said manager Grady Little, "so we're all going to have to chip in and maybe we can make up a little bit of the difference."
With his brilliant pitching, Martinez further extended his mastery of the Mariners, who've become his personal whipping boys.
Martinez, who improved to 5-0 this season, now is 9-0 with an ERA of 0.91 lifetime against the Mariners. Seattle has reached the ALCS in each of the last two seasons, but they've been unable to reach Martinez.
Sun Woo Kim closed out the game, yielding three runs with an inning of relief in the ninth after Martinez had thrown 116 pitches. The 12 strikeouts were the most recorded by Martinez in a start since he fanned 13 Yankees last May 30 at Fenway, and the 116 pitches were the most since he began to experience shoulder problems last summer.
"It was sure pleasant to watch him go like that on regular rest," said Little.
The Mariners didn't help themselves with some uncharacteristically sloppy play. They committed three errors, and a two-out blunder in the fifth by third baseman Desi Relaford led to four unearned runs. But given their history with Martinez and the pitcher's dazzling stuff last night, the outcome seemed almost pre-destined.
Martinez struck out the side in the first, needing just 14 pitches to dispose of the Mariners, the highest-scoring team in the American League before yesterday's action. In the second, he brandished a 99-mph fastball on a pitch to Mike Cameron, evidence enough that Martinez wasn't worn down by making his first start of the 2002 season with the benefit of just four days' rest.
"We're getting the feeling we used to get around here," said Little. "When Pedro has the ball, you get special sensation every time."
For all his dominance, however, Martinez found himself behind, 1-0, after four innings, and the Red Sox could be forgiven if they believed that this trip would end with them wasting a gem by their ace.
But in the fifth, the Sox erupted for four runs against Seattle starter James Baldwin, and they tacked on additional runs in the sixth and seventh, giving them six unaswered runs against the Mariners.
Boston's big inning began after two were out. A double to left by Jason Varitek (5-for-46 at the time) kick-started the rally, and an error by Relaford on a grounder by Rey Sanchez to third gave the Sox runners at the corners.
Rickey Henderson, armed with the promise of increased playing time while Ramirez is sidelined, lined a single to right, scoring Varitek, and a walk to Damon loaded the bases. Baldwin's wild pitch allowed Sanchez to score and moved Henderson and Damon into scoring position, from where they scored on Nomar Garciaparra's opposite-field double to the gap in right-center.
Trot Nixon's double to straightaway center in the sixth scored Jose Offerman (single), and Shea Hillenbrand had an RBI single in the seventh. Both runs were charged to rookie reliever Julio Mateo.
The Sox kept pouring it on when they added four more in the ninth off Justin Kaye. Three doubles -- they had six for the game -- and an error by Cameron contributed to the extra cushioning.
"Anytime you can go on the road, especially out here on the West Coast, and play better than .500, you have to be happy," Little said.
