BOSTON --
There has been a lot of talk this season about Derek Lowe supplanting Pedro Martinez as the ace of the Boston Red Sox' pitching staff.
Not that Lowe was spouting such platitudes. But it has been more a reflection of Lowe's emergence as an All-Star pitcher with a very real possibility of being named the American League's starter in this year's Midsummer Classic while Martinez tried to rebound from his shoulder woes of last year that has fueled such talk.
But make no mistake. While Lowe has been oustanding, it is Martinez who still inspires his teammates' confidence when the Sox are in a skid. And Martinez, a four-time Cy Young Award winner, takes the responsibility of the "stopper" role very seriously.
So it was that Martinez's virtuoso eight-inning, seven-hit, no-walk, 14-strikeout masterpiece in Boston's 4-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays last night at Fenway Park filled the right-hander with pride.
Martinez, who combined with Alan Embree on the shutout, snapped the Sox' losing streak at three games. Over the last 11 games, Boston has won only three times, and Martinez has claimed each victory.
In those three games, Martinez has allowed four runs, twice pitching eight-inning shutouts, while walking only one and whiffing 34.
Last night's game, though, worried him most because the Red Sox were 1-4 on the homestand, coming off a three-game sweep at the hands of the Atlanta Braves, not to mention a 10-16 month that included a distressing 5-13 log in interleague play.
"This game was one of my best [this year] because this was a game that was very important for us," said Martinez. "It's something that as an ace of the team, you have to take pride in. If I do the job, it's coming up in the clutch. I was really concerned with that coming into this game."
There was no question he came through for the Red Sox last night, raising his record to 10-2 and lowering his earned-run average to 2.85.
The first two Blue Jays hit deep drives to center, which were hauled in by Johnny Damon. Vernon Wells lofted a drive that hit the top of the left-field wall for a two-out double in the second.
Otherwise, the Blue Jays were going down one after another, shaking their heads at either a pinpoint fastball, with Martinez's heater reaching 96 on the radar gun at one point, or an unhittable changeup or a knee-buckling curveball. Eric Hinske, the first-half Rookie of the Year, went down on strikes four times.
"The '27 Yankees couldn't hit that guy tonight," Toronto manager Carlos Tosca said. "He had his 'A' game going. He proved tonight why he's a Hall of Famer."
And he also proved once again that while there still has to be cause for concern about his shoulder as the year goes along, Martinez hasn't been showing any ill effects.
"He keeps getting better and better," Boston manager Grady Little said. "Tonight was the best I've seen him [this year]. He's stopped losing streaks plenty of times for the Boston Red Sox and he did it again.
"I can't say enough what Pedro means to this ballclub," he added. "When Pedro takes the mound it's a big plus psychologically every single time he goes out there."
Of course, while Martinez was stifling the Jays, it still was necessary to score at least one run to give him a win. And Boston's offense was fueled by an unlikely source -- Tony Clark.
Clark, who has been a disappointment, to put it mildly, batted ninth for the first time in his memory, a lineup spot befitting his .207 batting average as opposed to his reputation as a productive hitter in his six years with Detroit.
The 6-foot-7 first baseman bounced a two-run single over the first-base bag in the second inning, and doubled off the wall in left in the fourth, setting up an RBI grounder by Lou Merloni that gave the Sox a 3-0 advantage.
A year ago at this time, Clark was getting ready for his first All-Star appearance. Now he's fighting Jose Offerman for at-bats. But as ever, Clark played the role of consummate professional, both before and after the game.
"I don't think about it," said Clark of his status before the game. "I appreciate the fact I'm in the lineup and leave it at that. As I've said before, I've made my own bed. I'm the same guy [as last year, when he was an All-Star]. That's why I know I have more in the tank. I can do whatever I can in whatever capacity I can to help the team on a given night."
Afterwards, he said he wasn't about to petition Little for more playing time based on his contributions last night.
"That's up to Skip," said Clark, who trimmed his big Afro not for luck but to stay cooler. "If I'm not in there, I'll be behind whoever is, rooting them on."
Clark also helped out defensively. He made a diving stop to rob rookie Pedro Swann of a run-scoring hit in the fourth, and his height came in handy on a long stretch to snare a throw from third baseman Shea Hillenbrand for the final out of the game.
But there was no questioning who the star of the game was.
It was Pedro Martinez, the Red Sox' stopper and ace.
