Pedro Martinez, Boston Red Sox, July 1, 2002 v Toronto Blue Jays

pedro martinez
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Pedro Strikes Out 14 Blue Jays In Eight Shutout Innings; Then Declines All-Star Game Invite Red Sox Return to Fenway From Tough Interleague Road Trip  — Begin July With 4-0 Win over Toronto

Monday, July 1, 2002
Toronto Blue Jays at Boston Red Sox
Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts

Pedro’s Line

Box Score and play-by-play

Pedro, Sox shut out Blue Jays — Martinez strikes out 14 in 4-0 win
Ian Browne, mlb.com

At a point the Red Sox badly needed their stopper on the mound, Pedro Martinez turned in a vintage performance. He struck out a season-high 14 batters, dominating the Blue Jays in a 4-0 victory Monday night at Fenway Park. … “This was a good game,” said Martinez, “especially in the situation we were in, that was my concern. I went home last night and all I could think of was this game today and how important it would be for us.”

K Through 8 — Martinez Strikes Out 14
David Heuschkel, Hartford Courant

Red Sox manager Grady Little said he has never seen Pedro Martinez look any better this season than he did Monday night.

Martinez still aces peers
Steven Krasner, Providence Journal

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.

Sitting pretty — Martinez beats Jays with 14 Ks
Bob Hohler, Boston Globe

Long after Reggie Jackson proclaimed himself ”the straw that stirs the drink,” Pedro Martinez last night whipped up something extra sweet for a Red Sox team that desperately needed the elixir. … With his mastery, Martinez improved to 10-2, joining Derek Lowe (11-4) as the first pair of Sox starters to post 10 or more wins before the All-Star break since Martinez (11), Tim Wakefield (10), and Bret Saberhagen (10) pulled it off in 1998. The Sox have won only three games in their last 11, all with Martinez on the mound.

This ace takes one for team — Martinez says its best for Sox if he rests
Joe Burris, Boston Globe

Pedro Martinez delivered a pitching performance last night that showed why he was selected to the All-Star Game. Then he declined the invitation for reasons that illustrate why many Red Sox fans believe he is the most pivotal element to the team ending its postseason futility. Last night was the first day of July, and there was Martinez talking about the World Series.

Ace arrives right on time
Lenny Megliola, MetroWest Daily News

Pick your ace. Derek who? Maybe we can back off worrying about Pedro Martinez now. Just a teeny bit, huh? For all his problems, for all the worry about his health, the guy’s 10-2 with a 2.85 ERA. … “I went home (Sunday) night and all I could think of was this game and how important it would be for us,” he said. … “As the ace on the team, you have to take pride and respond. That’s what my pride is,” he said.

Pedro takes day: Stops Jays, spurns All-Stars
Tony Massarotti, Boston Herald

Chosen by Joe Torre to participate in his sixth career All-Star Game, Pedro Martinez has elected to respectfully decline the invitation from the manager of the New York Yankees. The inimitable Red Sox ace is growing wiser with each passing day, it seems, and he clearly has much bigger things on his mind. And should Martinez continue to pitch as he did last night at electrified Fenway Park, he may very well accomplish them.

Vintage Pedro makes return
John Tomase, Eagle-Tribune

Raul Mondesi? The Yankees can have him. The Red Sox have Pedro Martinez. And after what he did last night, suddenly anything seems possible. Martinez turned back the clock to 2000 and 1999, shutting out the Blue Jays for eight innings on seven hits, striking out 14 and walking none in Boston’s 4-0 victory. The fans, knowing this newly mortal Pedro wouldn’t pitch the ninth, rose in a scene reminiscent of his glory days with two outs and two strikes in the eighth. With his 117th and final pitch, Martinez punched out Eric Hinske swinging. The fans erupted. So did the Red Sox bullpen. Martinez made a half turn toward the dugout, pumped his fist and pointed skyward.

Clark comes alive with a pair of hits
Gene O’Donnell, Springfield Union-News

Tony Clark did what everybody has been waiting for him to do. Pedro Martinez did what everybody has come to expect. Clark had two hits, including a two-run single in the second inning. to set the Red Sox on their way to a 4-0 triumph over the Toronto Blue Jays last night before 33,038 at Fenway Park.

Sox’ Martinez shows mastery, whiffs 14 Jays
Geoff Baker, Toronto Star

It was only two innings into last night’s defeat that the Blue Jays caught a glimpse of what they will miss from traded right fielder Raul Mondesi. Replacement right fielder Jose Cruz Jr. scooped up a Tony Clark single down the line in the second inning when baserunner Trot Nixon attempted to score all the way from first. Mondesi and his rifle arm make a living nailing such adventurous types, but the throw home by Cruz was weak and bounding.

Striking Pedro Fans Blue Jays
Anthony R. Tripaldi, New York Daily News

Pedro Martinez struck out a season-high 14 batters, his most since April of 2000, leading the Red Sox to a 4-0 shutout of Toronto last night hours after the Blue Jays gave up Raul Mondesi. Mondesi, the slugging right fielder, was traded to the Yankees just prior to the start of the game. “All I could think about was how important tonight’s game was to us,” Martinez as the Red Sox closed their deficit to 1½ games behind the idle Yankees in the AL East.

AL home of wins for Sox
Bill Ballou, Worcester Telegram & Gazette

The Red Sox may be the most patriotic team in baseball. Nobody loves the American way more than they do. Make that the American League way. Freed from the emotional shackles of playing baseball against those foreign devils from the National League, Boston snapped a three-game losing streak last night by beating the Toronto Blue Jays, 4-0.

Pedro’s priority: Fall-Star
Michael Gee, Boston Herald

Pedro Martinez thinks the Red Sox are holding all the cards they need this season. And as long as Martinez remains the ace in the hole, he’s right. “It may sound a little cocky of me to say World Series,” Martinez said after his 4-0 win over the Blue Jays last night. “But that’s what I’m thinking.” Martinez’ pitching ensured he didn’t sound overconfident. … Martinez’ fastballs routinely hit the mid-90s. His changeup was an utter mystery to Toronto hitters. Most of all, Martinez had complete mastery of his curveball. With two pitches, the Sox ace is an All-Star. With all three, Pedro’s beyond mortal honors or comprehension. In his last three starts, Pedro has one walk and 34 strikeouts.

The power of Pedro: Martinez fans 14 as Sox stop bleeding against Jays
Associated Press

Just when Pedro Martinez is pitching consistently like an All-Star, he’s decided not to be one. … [B]eing ready to help his team in the second half of the season is more important than pitching for the AL All-Stars, so he declined the invitation. … “I’m not as strong as I want to feel or as I have been,” he said. Declining the All-Star invitation “is the smartest thing to do at this point.”

Martinez: Thanks, but no thanks
Steven Krasner, Providence Journal

Martinez, who is 10-2 with a 2.85 earned-run average, said he made the decision after talking with manager Grady Little, pitching coach Tony Cloninger, some teammates and his brother, Ramon. … “This is one All-Star Game that I would be as happy to go to as when I got to my first one (1996, with the Expos) because of overcoming the things that I did — the injury and everything. Especially not knowing for me and not realizing what was going to happen during the season.”

Ace declines his All-Star invite
Bob Ryan, Boston Globe

Isn’t it great when your best player is also your smartest player? … If he’s not the best pitcher in baseball any longer, he is, as Dizzy Dean once said of himself, among ’em. Let’s all hope he enjoys his three days off during the All-Star break. All you fans should likewise be rejoicing, knowing that on the night of July 9 Pedro Martinez will be far, far away from Milwaukee.

Martinez will skip All-Star Game — Superstar has sights set on World Series
Ian Browne, mlb.com

But Red Sox fans can relax about this: The decision had nothing to do with the way his arm feels. … “It’s the perfect time for me to take a little break and make sure that I continue to be the way I have. … I have some personal matters to take care of. There are a few personal reasons in my life, unrelated to the game of baseball, that have played a part in my decision. I feel it’s best to decline the invitation and open a spot for another worthy pitcher.” … And as Martinez passed up the ticket to the All-Star game, he had his eyes on a bigger spectacle that takes place three months from now. “I wouldn’t trade a World Series for an All-Star (appearance),” said Martinez. It might sound a little cocky to say World Series, but that’s how I’m thinking.”

All-Star? Pedro Won’t Go
David Heuschkel, Hartford Courant

For the second time in three years, Pedro Martinez has declined an invitation to the All-Star Game. … “I could go to the All-Star Game. I feel good enough,” Martinez said. “I am very pleased and very honored to have [manager] Joe Torre pick me.” Martinez’s next start is Saturday and the All-Star Game is three days later, which is his turn to throw in the bullpen. So he could have pitched an inning. “But declining it, I think, is the smartest thing to do at this point.”

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