Pedro Martinez, Boston Red Sox, April 19, 2002 v. Kansas City Royals

pedro martinez
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Friday, April 19, 2002
Boston Red Sox at Kansas City Royals
Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri 

Pedro’s Line

Box Score and play-by-play

Martinez confounds Royals hitters
Robert Falkoff, mlb.com

If Friday’s performance was any indication, Boston fans need not worry about Pedro Martinez. … “He pitched an outstanding game,” Royals manager Tony Muser said of Martinez. “He threw a lot more off-speed stuff and had us out in front. He was in and out, back and forth. We hit a lot of weak ground balls and weak fly balls.”

After looking at Martinez’s assortment of pinpoint pitches, the Royals must be wondering how Toronto managed nine hits and eight runs off Martinez on Opening Day. Kansas City’s only hit off Martinez was a blooper to right-center by Mike Sweeney in the fourth. “It was a cutter away,” Martinez said. “It was a good pitch actually, but he’s a very good hitter. Sometimes you just have to tip your hat and let go.”

Pedro reigns on KC: Sox ace nearly perfect in win
Jeff Horrigan, Boston Herald

Was that a front moving across the Great Plains or the exhaling of a huge sigh of relief back in New England that made the flags at Kauffman Stadium flutter last night? … Martinez, who was inconsistent and erratic in his first three starts of the season, returned to his overpowering and nearly unhittable form, holding the Royals to only one hit in eight dominating innings to guide the Sox to their fourth straight win and sixth in the last seven games.

Martinez has Royals seeing things
Michael Silverman, Boston Herald

Pedro Martinez threw a pitching clinic to the Royals lineup last night. The result of the Red Sox’ 4-0 win was the same as a calculus professor springing a pop quiz on preschoolers: no contest. … “Between the last time we faced him and today he invented a slider, a fourth pitch, and he did a heck of a job keeping us off-balance with it,” said Mike Sweeney, the only Royal to record a hit – a bloop single in the fourth – in Martinez’ eight innings. “I’d never seen a slider before from him. Three pitches are tough enough to hit off the guy but when you can throw four pitches for a strike any time you want to, you’re going to have a performance like we just had.” …

“He threw a lot more breaking balls than we were expecting,” said third baseman Luis Alicea. “He still had the fastball when he needed to but I only saw one or two the whole game, personally. He threw a lot of changeups and breaking balls and when he can throw them for a strike as well as a fastball, he knows what he’s doing.”

Vintage Martinez dominates Royals
Ian Browne, mlb.com

In case anyone forgot what vintage Pedro Martinez looks like, it was unleashed Friday night in front of nine Royals’ hitters who were basically rendered helpless.  … For the first time this season, Martinez could reach back and throw whatever pitch he felt like, and have full confidence that it was going right to the desired target established by catcher Jason Varitek. “Along with the cutter, everything else was coming along,” Martinez said. “I found the breaking ball. Everything is coming along. I’m feeling more comfortable and getting my strength again and I’m feeling better overall. Pretty much, I felt like I could throw any pitch tonight, I felt that confident.”

Martinez regains his mastery
Steven Krasner, Providence Journal

The outcome of last night’s game was almost secondary. That’s the way it has been for the Boston Red Sox every time Pedro Martinez has stepped onto the mound this season. … Martinez seemed pleased with his effort, though he continues to insist he remains a work in progress. “I’m still an old goat, who had a good game. I had pretty good command. I’m happy with the way everything went. I think I’m making improvement every time out. That’s what I want to do.”

Ace-high — Martinez stifles lowly Royals
Bob Hohler, Boston Globe

So this is “wonderland.” No sooner did Pedro Martinez coin the term to describe the state of uncertainty surrounding his comeback than the Red Sox’ ace last night took a giant step toward far more familiar terrain – a kingdom he rules with mighty force. With the Royals as his subjects, Martinez shut them out on one hit over eight innings, sending a powerful message to the baseball world that he just may be all the way back from the most serious medical crisis of his career. … Mike Sweeney mustered the only hit off Martinez, when he broke his bat clubbing a cutter on the outside corner into right-center for a single with two outs in the fourth.

Just what doctor ordered
Gordon Edes, Boston Globe

Fairy tales are so much more entertaining than medical manuals, which is why all discussion about Pedro Martinez’s right shoulder should be suspended indefinitely after what the Red Sox’ ace did against the Kansas City Royals here last night in Wonderland.

“All he is is a great pitcher in the true sense of the word great,” said Orioles scout Deacon Jones, who had a front-row seat … “He made those hitters look like they were up there on ice skates – keeping them off-balance, making them jump in front of his changeup, and turning over on his breaking ball. That was something, just watching him be a surgeon again.”

Command Performance — Pedro Shuts Down Royals
David Heuschkel, Hartford Courant

The Red Sox hope Pedro in Wonderland is a summer blockbuster. He gave a sneak preview Friday night that was four stars. Quite a performance for an old goat. … Martinez allowed one hit in eight innings, a bloop single by Mike Sweeney. He struck out six and didn’t walk a batter. He threw 94 pitches, including 20 first-pitch strikes to 26 batters. …

“For a guy who couldn’t pitch five innings as a starter, that’s a huge milestone for me,” Martinez said, recalling his days with the Dodgers when manager Tommy Lasorda doubted Martinez would last because of his size. “It fills me up with pride. I was somebody who was doubted once, twice, three times, four times that I could pitch in the big leagues.”

Pedro still king of hill
Phil O’Neill, Worcester Telegram & Gazette

An old goat and a young hot shot are sparking the streaking Red Sox in April, and the hope around New England is that this pair will still be sparking come October. Pedro Martinez, who’s taken to calling himself an old goat, spun a magnificent one-hitter over eight innings, and Shea Hillenbrand, looking very much like the superstar of the future, socked a three-run triple, carrying the Sox to a landmark 4-0 victory over the Royals last night.

Martinez dominant in Boston’s 4-0 victory over Royals
Bob Dutton, Kansas City Star

The Royals, with their increasingly feeble attack, might not be the best measuring stick, but the new Pedro Martinez looked just as dominant as the old Pedro Martinez in Boston’s 4-0 victory Friday night at Kauffman Stadium. Martinez answered all questions regarding his suspect shoulder by holding the Royals to one hit in eight masterly innings. “It was a healthy Pedro Martinez in my mind,” said Mike Sweeney.

Pre-Game

Will wonders cease for Martinez?
Bob Hohler, Boston Globe

It has come to this in the remarkable career of Pedro Martinez. He has wandered into what he portrayed as ”wonderland.” ”I’m just out there wondering,” the three-time Cy Young Award winner said of his outings, the next of which is scheduled for tonight against the Royals. … “‘I wouldn’t say it’s hard, but it’s a little bit different,” Martinez said of no longer knowing if he will have his killer stuff. ”I just don’t know what’s going to happen, just like I don’t know if I’m going to pitch a no-hitter or a perfect game. … I feel fine. It’s only been three outings, so it’s hard to judge. But I believe I’ve gotten better every time.”

“I’m in Wonderland”: Even Sox ace unsure which Pedro will show up
Jeff Horrigan, Boston Herald

The sight of approaching reporters made Pedro Martinez recoil like a frightened batter forced to duck one of his brush-back pitches. “Why do you want to talk to me?” he asked, surveying the open notebooks and microphones being thrust in his direction. “I don’t want to talk about my outings every time. I just want to sneak by. Did you talk to (Darren) Oliver (on Tuesday)? I’m just another player now. … I’m not Cy Young anymore. The Cy Young last year was (Roger) Clemens, although it should have been (Mark) Mulder. I’m an old goat now.”

Next Step For Pedro Is Tonight
David Heuschkel, Hartford Courant 

The season is less than three weeks old, so it’s too early to classify games as big. But it is fair to say every game the Red Sox play with Pedro Martinez on the mound qualifies as important, given his shoulder problems last season. Martinez makes his fourth start tonight against the Royals, a team that has never beaten him. … As Martinez continues to work his way back, other pitchers have stepped up. … “One hundred percent positive. They have picked up the slack, along with the team. I’m really proud of them because I haven’t been able to do much for them. I’m just glad they’re there for me. I hope I can return the favor for them.”

Martinez’s mates are shouldering early load
Sean McAdam, Providence Journal

Change is a constant with the Red Sox this season, from the owners on down, so perhaps it’s not surprising that it has reached the team’s pitching staff, too. Thirteen games into the season, it’s as if someone had flipped the club’s starting rotation on its head. Pedro Martinez, the team’s indisputable ace since his arrival before the 1998 season, has been the least effective and dependable pitcher so far this season. … Boston’s starters sport a 2.92 ERA, but take away Martinez’s three starts (1-0, 6.91) and that number would sink to 2.01.

Sox look to ‘old goat’
Phil O’Neill, Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Despite their fast April getaway (9-4) and the early success of their questionable starting pitching, the Red Sox don’t figure to be around for the finish this season if their ace, Pedro Martinez, doesn’t make like Cy Young again. … You get the impression he feels he’s going to become the best pitcher in baseball again, but he isn’t quite sure. And there’s a sizable section of Red Sox Nation that dreads he’s going to break down again this season. That’s why he tried to fluff off a crowd of writers yesterday anxious to make him the subject of their off-day stories.

Skipper won’t skip starts
Jeff Horrigan, Boston Herald

Martinez will be making his 300th major league appearance tonight when he faces the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. He needs only three strikeouts to become just the eighth active pitcher with 2,000. The others are Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, Chuck Finley, John Smoltz, Curt Schilling and Kevin Brown. Little said that Martinez has shown signs that he is ready to return to his dominant form due to the ongoing improvement of his right shoulder. “There’s no more pain, so now he can go to work on the command and delivery of his pitches,” Little said. “I’m not worried anymore.” …

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