Pedro Martinez, Boston Red Sox, May 1, 2002 v. Baltimore Orioles

pedro martinez
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Pedro Battles Head Cold Against Baltimore; Mates Batter Birds 15-3 Manny: 2 Home Runs, 5 RBI Offerman: On Base 5 Times Sanchez: 3-4, 3 Runs Scored Boston Now 17-7 — Best in MLB

Wednesday, May 1, 2002
Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox
Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts

Pedro’s Line

Box Score and play-by-play

Pedro loving Sox’s power — Nos. 2-4 hitters go 8-for-12 on Thursday
Ian Browne, mlb.com

After one of the most cruise-control victories he will have all season, Pedro Martinez uttered a word Wednesday night that has been used so often to describe him. He used it repeatedly, in the same sentence. “Scary, it’s scary,” Martinez said after improving to 4-0. “If you’re the opposition, it’s scary.” Martinez wasn’t talking about his fastball, his change-up or the sheer fear that he brings to the mound. …  You didn’t have to be a baseball expert to realize Martinez wasn’t his typically vintage self. Battling a head cold for the last week, he felt weak and gutted his way through five innings, in which he allowed three earned runs.

Sox bail out Martinez in big way, 15-3
Joe Christensen, Baltimore Sun

Pedro Martinez was vulnerable last night, and the Orioles knew it. A head cold had sapped the strength from the three-time Cy Young Award winner. Tony Batista turned on a hanging curveball and hit one over the Green Monster. Mike Bordick pulled another fat pitch down the left-field line for a run-scoring double. Goliath wobbled, but David was fresh out of stones.

Red Sox drub Orioles — Ramirez homers twice, drives in 5 runs
By Ian Browne, mlb.com

On a night the Red Sox honored Derek Lowe for his recent no-hitter, ace Pedro Martinez was far from his unhittable best. But with the way Manny Ramirez and his teammates hit Wednesday night at Fenway Park, Martinez was able to get by with a performance that was merely adequate. Ramirez smacked two homers and drove in five runs, lifting Martinez and the Red Sox over the Orioles, 15-3.

A mash unit at Fenway — Sox, Ramirez (2 HRs) leave Orioles wounded
Nick Cafardo, Boston Globe

On a night when Pedro Martinez was a JAG (just another guy), Manny Ramirez and his orchestra were something out of the ordinary. With five RBIs and two homers, Ramirez – who tied for the American League lead in RBIs (31) – overcame a couple of blips in the field … Ramirez got help from Nomar Garciaparra (three RBIs), Jose Offerman (on base his first five times with four hits and two RBIs), Rey Sanchez (three hits), a two-run homer by Brian Daubach, and a homer by Trot Nixon on a night when the offense (16 hits) rallied for the human Martinez.

Martinez, who had not given up a run in two starts against the Orioles (13 innings), improved to 4-0, but the 33,274 on hand didn’t see the Best of Pedro – only visages of the vintage Martinez. ”I had a cold all week and they pushed me back. When we got the rainout, they pushed me back a day and see if I could get better with the extra day. I just didn’t feel that strong. My arm felt fine, but my body was weak.”

Martinez displays ill will — Battling the flu, he’s good enough
Paul Harber, Boston Globe

The measure of a great pitcher is not how well he performs when at his best, but how he finds a way to win when he doesn’t have his best stuff. … ”Pedro has been under the weather the last three or four days,” said manager Grady Little. ”During this whole homestand he’s been under the weather. He’s been battling a terrible head cold, sinus, whatever it’s been. But he’s been under a lot of medication.”

Martinez began feeling the flu during the recent trip to Baltimore. Since then, he has lost 3 pounds. ”But he got through that five innings the best he could,” said Little. ”It’s not the best we’ve ever seen him, but he was battling that head cold. We cut him a little short out there, but he was able to get out of there with the win.”

16-hit barrage flattens Baltimore
Sean McAdam, Providence Journal

As he struggled to pitch through the uncertainty of his first three starts of the season, Pedro Martinez could take solace in the fact that the rest of the starting rotation was shouldering the load for him. Last night, battling a week-long head cold and sinus infection, Martinez labored through five innings, allowing more runs than he did in his previous two starts combined. But this time, it was the Red Sox offense which more than picked up the slack. … “I wasn’t feeling all that well. I had a hard time getting anything going for me. I didn’t feel all that strong.”

Red Sox Back Up Pedro
Paul Doyle, Hartford Courant 

“I’m not surprised,” Garciaparra said. “We’re not surprised here.” Garciaparra’s defiance is nothing new. He always has dismissed questions that seem to underestimate the Red Sox, blaming the media for painting a negative portrait of his team. … With his two hits Wednesday, Garciaparra (.337) has hit safely in 15 consecutive games. He also has hit safely in 20 of 22 games. Batting behind Garciaparra, Ramirez (nine homers, 31 RBI) is on pace for 61 homers and 209 RBI. Through 24 games last year, he had seven homers and 26 RBI.

Imagine the plight of a pitcher facing those two hitters back-to-back. “I don’t want to see myself in that situation,” Pedro Martinez said. “When those two are healthy and hit … you don’t see a hole. Our team seems like a very difficult team to face right now.”

For Towers, A Boston Battering
Dave Sheinin, Washington Post 

By the eighth inning of an ugly game, Baltimore Orioles reliever Josh Towers looked as if he wanted to be anywhere but here, absorbing a brutal beating at the hands of the Boston Red Sox in front of a sellout crowd at Fenway Park. He started to jog off the mound too soon, sheepishly making an about-face when he realized there were only two outs, then promptly served up a two-run homer that put the finishing touches on a 15-3 loss.

Orioles lose ugly one
Mark Zuckerman, Washington Times

Considering all the trouble they’ve had with Pedro Martinez lately, the Baltimore Orioles should have been encouraged by knocking the Boston Red Sox ace out of last night’s game after five innings. Too bad they did everything else in a decidedly discouraging manner and thus turned what could have been a rare victory over the three-time Cy Young Award winner into an ugly 15-3 loss at Fenway Park that left onlookers scrounging the record books in search of previous marks of futility.

Sox blast Orioles: Pedro not sharp, but offense rolls
Michael Silverman, Boston Herald

With Pedro Martinez scuffling from a head cold, Manny Ramirez and the rest of the Red Sox lineup raided the medicine chest to come up with the perfect remedy last night, a 15-3 thumping of the anemic Baltimore Orioles. … Martinez’ unsuccessful battle with the cold resulted in what can now be considered a sub-par performance from him: three earned runs, six hits in his five innings with five strikeouts. Martinez (4-0) felt lousy all week and as he warmed up in the bullpen, matters turned for the worse. He had trouble breathing and he had a difficult time throwing a pitch over the plate.

Thunder and lightning: Manny, Nomar get it together
Tony Massarotti, Boston Herald

Nomar Garciaparra and Manny Ramirez went a combined 4-for-8 with four runs scored and eight RBI last night at Fenway Park, where the Red Sox turned the Baltimore Orioles into road pizza, 15-3. Axe and Smash are now batting .337 and .354, respectively, and they remain to the Red Sox offense what Pedro Martinez is to the pitching staff. … “It’s like, ‘Who do you want to pitch to, the batting champion or a guy that could be the MVP every year?’ ” said designated hitter Brian Daubach …

Boston rolls
Garry Brown, Springfield Union-News

Battling a cold and pitching in the cold, Pedro Martinez fell far off his game last night. It didn’t matter, because his pals at the top of the Boston Red Sox batting order took care of him. … Boston’s 1 through 4 hitters went 10 for 17, and scored 10 runs.

Pedro cold; Manny red-hot
Phil O’Neill, Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Red Sox fans may be less than thrilled about how Manny Ramirez runs out ground balls or the way he plays the outfield, but his mighty bat far outweighs his faults. That’s the tack Boston manager Grady Little took before last night’s game — that Manny Ramirez runs hard enough for Grady Little — and it proved to be right on the money.

It’s another wild day on Yawkey Way
Lenny Megliola, MetroWest Daily

In a number of ways, it was a curious Fenway night. For instance: A quick 3-0 lead for Pedro Martinez didn’t seem like money in the bank after all (maybe those days are kaput?). Manny Ramirez got booed between drilling two homers and driving in five runs. Manny booed, Jose Offerman cheered? It happened. New owner John Henry chose to sit in the bleachers. No, he didn’t start the “Yankees suck!” mantra.

Long night all around for O’s
Mike Petraglia, mlb.com

Mike Hargrove had a feeling Wednesday night could be long one at Fenway Park. He just didn’t know how long. Sean Douglass allowed five hits, five runs — four earned — three walks and the first of two Manny Ramirez homers on the evening. The right-hander didn’t make it to the fourth inning as the Red Sox topped the O’s, 15-3.

Boston’s hit parade out-sings, out-swings Orioles
Associated Press

Manny Ramirez homered twice, and Jose Offerman went 4-for-4 Wednesday night to salvage another rough outing at Fenway Park for Pedro Martinez and lead the Boston Red Sox to a 15-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Martinez (4-0) allowed three runs in five innings, giving up six hits and two walks while striking out five. He is 1-0 with a 9.45 ERA in three starts at home this year, and 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA in three road starts. …

Before the game, the Red Sox presented Derek Lowe with the pitching rubber and a plaque for throwing the first no-hitter at Fenway Park since 1965. Lowe gave the shoes and hat he wore in Saturday’s game to Hall of Fame representative Jeff Idelson, along with a game ball … Martinez moved into fourth place on Boston’s career strikeout list with 1,048 … Boston owner John Henry sat in the bleachers … Garciaparra extended his hitting streak to 15 games …

Pre-Game

Orioles rookie draws an ace
Mike Shalin, Boston Herald

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Josh Towers was wondering why there was a media crowd in front of staffmate Sean Douglass’ locker before last night’s game. “What’s going on there?” Towers asked. “He’s pitching against Pedro tomorrow,” Towers was told. “No,” Towers said, “Pedro’s pitching against him tomorrow. Pedro? C’mon. Why don’t you guys go ask Pedro how he feels pitching against him?”

O’s Miss A Chance In Boston — Winning Streak Ends, Martinez Looms Next
Dave Sheinin, Washington Post

The Baltimore Orioles lurched to the end of the season’s first month tonight with a 4-0 loss to the Boston Red Sox in front of 31,751 at Fenway Park, and if it stung more than their other 13 losses in April, it was for one reason, summed up by an Orioles veteran. “We needed this one,” the player said, “because we’ve got Darth Vader tomorrow.” Indeed, the Orioles will need to vanquish Vader, better known as Pedro Martinez, on Wednesday night to escape Boston with their fourth consecutive series victory.

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