Pedro Martinez, Boston Red Sox, May 12, 2002 v. Seattle Mariners

pedro martinez
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Thursday, April 25, 2002
Boston Red Sox at Baltimore Orioles
Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland

Pedro’s Line

Box Score and play-by-play

Pedro and Co. beat Orioles, 7-0 — Martinez allows one hit in seven innings
Gary Washburn, MLB.com

Pedro Martinez warned reporters and anxious Red Sox fans that his return from shoulder problems would be a gradual process. There have been some flashes of vintage Pedro so far this season mixed with inconsistent

stretches. But if Thursday is any indication of his progress, Martinez’s comeback is near complete. He was simply dominant at Camden Yards against the Orioles. … “I’m not going to try go look for it or try to overdo anything,” Martinez said. “I’m just going to try to keep my poise and pitch my way through my injury.”

Pedro keeps getting stronger — Strikes out 10, allows one hit against Orioles
Becky Dubin Jenkins, MLB.com

Pedro Martinez emerged from his postgame shower in the Boston clubhouse Thursday and nonchalantly walked to his locker. As the throng of reporters converged upon him, Martinez turned around with a look of surprise, as if he wasn’t expecting a crowd. … Martinez, who went to three-ball counts only three times in his seven innings, walked one and hit a batter in his second straight stellar start. …

“I’m an experienced guy now. The day that a no-hitter’s going to happen, it’s just going to happen,” said Martinez, who struck out at least 10 for the 79th time in his career, which places him sixth on the all-time list of 10-plus strikeout games. … Martinez was on a pitch count and said if he had reached the limit — which Little said before the game was about 120 — pitching coach Tony Cloninger would have pulled him, even if the no-hitter had been intact. “I’m still in wonderland. Anybody want to join me?” Martinez joked. “So far, this is a year to wonder, a year to pretty much find out about some the things I’ve never experienced.”

Martinez casts the doubts, O’s aside
Steven Krasner, Providence Journal

Perhaps Mike Bordick’s wordless post-strikeout reaction offered the loudest rave review of Pedro Martinez’s brilliant one-hit, 10-strikeout seven-inning performance in Boston’s 7-0 victory over Baltimore yesterday at Camden Yards. Bordick took the first two pitches of that fifth-inning at-bat for strikes, gazing at a 93-mph fastball and then an 83-mph cutter that sliced over the outside edge of the plate.

Martinez missed with a fastball and two changeups, running the count full. Bordick geared up for a sizzling 3-and-2 fastball. He got a curveball, a sharp 77-mph breaking ball that buckled Bordick’s knees, paralyzing him as he watched, mesmerized, as the pitch caught the plate for strike three. The veteran shortstop flipped his bat away, pulled off his helmet and tossed that, too, shaking his head.

Maestro Martinez in perfect rhythm
Gordon Edes, Boston Globe

The swagger is no longer part of his repertoire. Neither is the trademark stare at his latest strikeout victim as he walks off the mound. But even a toned-down Pedro Martinez can still have a galvanizing effect on the Red Sox, who completed a highly successful eight-game tour by shutting out the Baltimore Orioles, 7-0, ending a two-game stumble.

Brilliant collection of his works to study
Michael Holley, Boston Globe

Years from now, college kids will have all-night Pedro Martinez debates. They’ll talk about his pitching the same way ’60s mop-toppers talked about the singing of John, Paul, George, and Ringo. If Pedro keeps pitching like this, he’ll be honored in the Hall all right. An academic hall. He’ll be part pitcher and part homework assignment. Students will be required to study Shakespeare’s sonnets one hour and Pedro’s curveballs the next. Pedro is now in the most sacred of artistic circles. No one debates his brilliance anymore. The true debate comes when you try to decide which piece of brilliant work you like the best.

Ace’s high again: Martinez decks Orioles, disproves doubters
Michael Silverman, Boston Herald

The case should be closed on Pedro Martinez. Nearly everyone who witnessed Martinez’ one-hit, 10-strikeout testimonial against the Orioles yesterday should be willing to go under oath and swear that Martinez is at, or near, the pitching heights he has occupied for most of the past three seasons. The proof was compelling enough to sway any jury.

Martinez threw a bewildering assortment of cut fastballs, changeups, curveballs and fastballs to a hapless Orioles lineup that had little clue as to which corner the ball would nick, which way it would break, which speed it was coming in at.

Pedro flirts with no-no: Brilliant Martinez stymies Orioles in Sox’ 7-0 win
Jeff Horrigan, Boston Herald

Pedro Martinez has added new meaning to the term “stopper.” … “I take a lot of pride in that,” Martinez said of the stopper title. “That’s why I’m the No. 1, to stand up for the team at times when they need me most. I’m happy to pick up my team and help them get back on their winning ways.” … He allowed only three baserunners in seven innings and struck out 10 batters for his 79th career double-digit strikeout game. The three-time Cy Young Award winner once again had a fastball in the 93-95 mph range, as well as total control of his curveball and changeup (with one exception).

No Doubt About It — Pedro Has Fun, Strikes Out 10
David Heuschkel, Hartford Courant

Except for those magnificent performances in the 1999 postseason, when he was pitching on fumes and still dominating the opposition, there are no outings that Pedro Martinez relishes more than his past two because of the adversity he has had to overcome. “This time,” Martinez said, “I have to appreciate every single pitch I make.”

Pedro masters Orioles
Phil O’Neill, Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Pedro Martinez seems nearly perfect again, Boston’s bats are crackling, and the Red Sox are ready for some home cooking after an impressive 6-2, three-city road trip.

Martinez looks like old self, blanks O’s, 7-0
Joe Christensen, Baltimore Sun

The Orioles are tired of hearing how Boston Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez just isn’t his dominating self anymore. They have faced him twice in the past three weeks, and he’s just fine, thank you. Martinez carried a no-hit bid into the sixth inning yesterday, making several Orioles hitters look downright silly in the process.

Martinez Is a Hit in Baltimore
Preston Williams, Washington Post

Twice this season the Baltimore Orioles have encountered Boston Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez, and twice they were led to believe the right-hander might not be as dominating as he was prior to his shoulder injury last year. This afternoon they found out — again — just how misleading that scuttlebutt was … “That’s twice we’ve heard that his stuff isn’t what it was before, but I’ve yet to see” evidence of that, said Orioles Manager Mike Hargrove. “I don’t care if you’re Baby Ruth or Babe Ruth, you’re going to look bad” against a humming Martinez.

Same old Martinez, same old result
Duff Durkin, Washington Times

For the second time in 19 days, Martinez, coming off an injury-shortened 2001 campaign, handcuffed the Orioles. … Red Sox manager Grady Little: “I’ve felt it for several starts now, but if there were any doubters, he’s probably killing off a few of them right now.”

Red Sox avoid sweep against Orioles
espn.com/AP

Pedro Martinez turned in his second straight brilliant pitching performance, limiting the Baltimore Orioles to one hit in seven innings as the Boston Red Sox avoided a three-game sweep with a 7-0 victory Thursday.

Martinez (3-0) had a season-high 10 strikeouts and held Baltimore hitless until Gary Matthews Jr. lined a clean single to right with two outs in the sixth. He walked one and hit a batter. In his previous outing on April 19, the three-time Cy Young Award winner allowed only one hit in eight innings against Kansas City.

Limited to just 18 starts last year because of tendinitis in his right shoulder, Martinez has given up just four earned runs in his last four starts after being tagged for seven earned runs in three innings against Toronto on opening day, dropping his ERA from 21.00 to 3.38. …

Trot Nixon homered and Manny Ramirez had three hits and two RBIs for the Red Sox, who averted their first three-game sweep in Baltimore since 1974. … Johnny Damon stole second base in the fifth, giving the Red Sox steals in eight straight games for the first time since Sept. 1993. … It was the 79th game in which Martinez had at least 10 strikeouts.

Pre-Game

Incomplete marks for Pedro
Jeff Horrigan, Boston Herald

The chances of today’s starter in the series finale, Pedro Martinez, recording a complete game during the first few months of the season appear to be extremely slim. “He’s nearing (the pitch count) we’re going to operate on here for a while,” Sox manager Grady Little said. “I don’t think you’re going to see him throw more than 110, 115 pitches.” Martinez, plagued by shoulder problems last year, has thrown 84, 85, 105 and 94 pitches in his four starts this season. … Martinez is 4-1 with a 1.99 ERA lifetime vs. Baltimore, including 2-1 with a 1.16 ERA at Camden Yards.

Pedro Starts Tonight
David Heuschkel, Hartford Courant

The last time Pedro Martinez won back-to-back starts was May 12 and 18 last season. He has a chance to do it against the Orioles. … Martinez needs 11 strikeouts to pass Bruce Hurst on the Red Sox all-time list. Hurst is fourth with 1,033 strikeouts. Martinez, who threw 94 pitches in his last start, will be on a pitch count of 100-110 tonight. It will be his first start this season on four days’ rest. He had gotten an extra day of rest between starts.

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