Pedro Martinez, Boston Red Sox, September 11, 2002 v Tampa Bay Devil Rays

pedro martinez
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Wednesday, September 11, 2002
Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Tropicana Field, Tampa, Florida

Pedro’s Line

Box Score and play-by-play

Pedro back in form for Red Sox — Ace enjoys successful return from injury
Paul C. Smith, mlb.com

After six solid innings and his 150th career win, Pedro Martinez’s focus shifted from his hip to his team’s dwindling playoff chances. “Hopefully, we can still make it,” Martinez said. “I feel comfortable enough that I will be able to make the last three or four starts and maybe beyond.”

Ramirez slams Red Sox to win
Paul C. Smith, mlb.com

Manny Ramirez hit a grand slam, and Pedro Martinez got his first win since Aug. 23, as the Red Sox topped the Devil Rays, 6-3, on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field. Ramirez ripped a Paul Wilson pitch out to left-center field with one out in the fifth inning. It was the 15th grand slam of his career and first this season. It was the fifth grand slam for the Red Sox this season. It also marked the fourth time in five games Ramirez has homered. He is 6-for-13 with two doubles, three homers and eight RBIs in three games against the Rays.

Space shot — Ramirez’s slam lifts returning Martinez
Bob Hohler, Boston Globe 

You figure out Manny Ramirez. Goodness knows, even Pedro Martinez has come up short. ”Manny’s in la-la land,” Martinez said, defending the slugger’s penchant for unpredictable – and sometimes unacceptable – baseball behavior. ”Manny’s weird.” But, oh, can Ramirez crush a ball, as he brutally reminded his critics and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays last night when he launched his 15th career grand slam to propel the Sox to a 6-3 victory before 12,415 at Tropicana Field.

Happy returns for Pedro: Ace solid as Sox sting Rays, 6-3
Jeff Horrigan, Boston Herald

On a day when the nation paused to remember the past but focused on the future, it was fitting that Pedro Martinez did likewise in regards to this season. … “I feel confident I’ll be able to make my last three or four starts I have left,” he said. “I just hope we can contribute together and one of those teams on top of us comes back down and we get back in contention.” … Martinez showed only minor signs of rustiness, despite having not made a start in exactly two weeks. His command wasn’t perfect, but his fastball velocity climbed from 92 mph to 94 to 95 in each of the first three innings and remained in the 93-95 range the rest of the way. “The first couple of innings I felt great,” he said. “My leg didn’t feel bad until the fourth or fifth inning. Then it started to feel a little weak.”

There still is some life left
Steven Krasner, Providence Journal 

Manny Ramirez didn’t exactly bolt out of the batter’s box after hitting the ball in the fifth inning last night. But he didn’t have to because Ramirez, scorned and fined for not running out a tapper to the mound two nights earlier, had cracked a lightning bolt to left field that settled into the seats for a grand slam. … The recently maligned Ramirez clearly enjoyed every step around the bases as he went into an uncharacteristically demonstrative home run trot.

Manny Drives For Pedro — Grand Slam Puts Sox Ahead
David Heuschkel, Hartford Courant

Pedro Martinez returned to the mound for the first time in two weeks. … “I tried to be careful,” Martinez said. “I was thinking a lot about my landing on the mound. I wasn’t really paying attention all that much to the pitches and how they were going to work. I just wanted to get myself into the game and get the groove going.” … Martinez (18-4, 2.29 ERA) expects to make three more starts. His next is Monday against Cleveland. He is also scheduled to face Baltimore and Tampa Bay as he attempts to win 20 for the second time in his career. … Ramirez brushed past reporters in front of his locker, refusing to comment for the third day in a row.

Devil Rays fall to Red Sox
Bob Bellone, mlb.com

Manny Ramirez hit a grand slam on Wednesday to help the Red Sox beat the Devil Rays, 6-3. Pedro Martinez (18-4) earned the victory, while Paul Wilson (6-10) took the loss. The Red Sox are now 9-0 at Tropicana Field this season.

Ramirez Slams Devil Rays
Dick Scanlon, Lakeland Ledger

Manny Ramirez’s 15th career grand slam sent the Boston Red Sox on their way to a 6-3 victory over the Devil Rays Wednesday night. The game was played before a crowd of 12,415 and a national ESPN audience on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks that shut down last season for a week. … The loss was the eighth in nine games for the Rays (48-97), who are three losses away from losing 100 games for the second straight season. No major league team has done that since the Toronto Jays in 1978 and 1979, their second and third seasons. Aubrey Huff’s 17-game hitting streak, one short of the franchise record, came to an end in an 0-for-4 performance.

Pre-Game

MLBeat
Paul C. Smith, mlb.com

Little said Pedro Martinez would not reach 100 pitches in his start Wednesday night at Tropicana Field but that he was not on a strict pitch count. “We’ll see how the load works out,” Little said. Also, if all goes well, Little said Martinez likely would pitch the second game of Monday’s doubleheader against the Indians at Fenway. …

Pedro unfazed by 20 questions
Jeff Horrigan, Boston Herald

Pedro Martinez is three wins away from 20 with four starts remaining, but the Red Sox pitcher said he doesn’t need to reach the plateau to validate his comeback season. … “Getting 20 wins doesn’t mean much,” he said. “I’ve got three Cy Youngs and two of them were without 20 wins. … After having such a difficult injury, what I’ve achieved so far is a little bit more than everybody expected, including myself. But I’ve always said if I’m healthy, I’m capable of doing what I used to do. I just hope I can continue to do good.”

Ejections cause for concern Both sides question policy
Gordon Edes, Boston Globe 

Red Sox manager Grady Little is apprehensive about what may befall Pedro Martinez tonight after a second straight night of ejections stemming from hit batsmen. … Asked about the possibility of an ejection, Martinez said, ”I don’t worry about it. The umpires will know what to do.” On Monday night, umpires ejected Sox pitcher Derek Lowe, along with Little, in the seventh inning of a one-run game after Lowe hit Felix Escalona. It was the second time Lowe had hit Escalona, the ninth batter in the Devil Rays’ order. … Last night, it was Tampa Bay rookie reliever Lee Gardner who was ejected, along with manager Hal McRae, after he hit pinch hitter Lou Merloni in the eighth inning of a 12-1 game.

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