Pedro rises to the occasion

Martinez' gem has Sox one game away from crown

12:02 PM EDT on Wednesday, October 27, 2004

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

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ST. LOUIS -- The magic number is one.

The Boston Red Sox are one victory away from their first World Championship since 1918 after downing the St. Louis Cardinals, 4-1, last night at Busch Stadium.

And while Boston had several heroes last night in taking Game 3 for a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven World Series, no one stood taller than the 5-foot-11, 180-pound Pedro Martinez.

Martinez, who turned 33 on Monday, turned in a seven-inning gem in his first World Series start. Despite not featuring a consistently blazing fastball, he permitted only three hits and, thanks to a couple of Cardinals baserunning blunders, turned a 4-0 lead over to the Red Sox bullpen.

Maybe it was the last start of his Boston career for the free-agent-to-be. Maybe he will re-sign with the Red Sox in the offseason. But last night, none of that mattered to Martinez or his teammates while they were pursuing their seventh straight postseason triumph.

"Pedro's the man," said Manny Ramirez, who hit a solo homer in the top of the first and threw out a runner at the plate in the bottom of the inning in helping to back Martinez.

"We have a lot of confidence in Pedro. We know he's one of the best pitchers in the league. Today, he gave us a chance to win and we did," added Ramirez.

Johnny Damon, meanwhile, watched Pedro dealing from his spot in center field. He was proud of Martinez' performance.

"Pedro was really amazing," said Damon. "I've been waiting to see him out there in a World Series for a long time. He's taken a beating with everything that went on with the Yankees, but on the biggest stage he stepped up and showed everybody why he's been one of the best pitchers in the last decade.

"He still has it. He didn't have a blazing fastball tonight but he did what he needed to do because he knew we were depending on him."

Martinez, who was 1-1 with a 5.40 earned-run average in previous playoff action this year, had thrown only one inning in the last eight days. He was a little rusty, walking two in the first inning.

But when Larry Walker attempted to tag up and score on a shallow fly ball to left, Ramirez threw him out at the plate. And when the Cardinals were threatening in the third, a baserunning blunder by St. Louis starter Jeff Suppan turned into a rally-killing double play.

With runners at second and third and none out and the Sox ahead, 1-0, Boston was playing its infield back, conceding the run. Walker's grounder to second should have produced it, but Suppan hesitated and eventually was doubled up trying to scramble back to third.

"I just wanted to get the out there," said Martinez. "It was still early in the game. We knew Suppan was around the plate and we thought we'd be able to put the ball in play and get a few more runs.

"They gave us some breaks we took advantage of. Once that happened, I said 'It's up to me now.' "

The Sox scratched out a run in the fourth on a two-out single by Trot Nixon, and two more in the fifth, with Ramirez and Bill Mueller each delivering an RBI single.

By then, Martinez was on cruise control.

Martinez did not allow another baserunner. Counting the double play, Martinez retired the final 14 batters he faced, not even allowing the Cardinals to hit one ball out of the infield. He fanned the final two batters, his 98th and final pitch a 92-mile-an-hour blazer that Reggie Sanders couldn't catch up to.

Mike Timlin pitched a scoreless eighth. Keith Foulke surrendered a homer to Walker in the ninth, but Martinez earned the win in his first World Series start, which was immensely satisfying to the three-time Cy Young Award winner.

"I'm really happy to be one for one in the World Series," said Martinez. "I was happy to win it for the fans and the city of Boston who were sympathizing [with] me. I wanted to put on a good show for them."

Martinez, of course, had to bat, too. He whiffed his first two times up, but then drew a seven-pitch walk in the sixth, even managing a foul ball. But Pedro as the Sox' number nine hitter?

"We need him to pitch, we don't need him to hit," said Ramirez.

And while Martinez wasn't lights-out dominant, he showed the nation that he can be a big-game pitcher on the biggest of baseball's stages in what may have been the final game of his Boston Red Sox career.

"I hope it's not the last one, but if it is, I want the fans to know that I did everything I could for the city and for the team andf my heart will always be with them," said Martinez.

Last night, his right arm was there for the Sox, too, leaving them one win shy of their goal and with four games to accomplish it.