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PEDRO MARTINEZ &
NOMAR GARCIAPARRA |
ON THIS DATE
(May 12, 1999) ...
Facing a Seattle Mariners lineup that includes several of the premier
hitters in the game, Pedro Martinez put on another dominating
performance in a 9-2 Red Sox victory tonight at Fenway Park. With
much encouragement from a crowd of 28,177, Martinez ran his record to
7-1, the best mark in baseball, and matched his career high with 15
strikeouts, which he reached in his previous outing Friday against
Anaheim.
Martinez
lost his no-hit bid on a leadoff double by David Segui in the fifth, allowing
him to concentrate on strikeouts. He had nine through four innings, and 13
through seven. He picked up two more to start the eighth, tying his career best.
The crowd
knew he didn't have a shot at the major league mark of 20 shared by Roger
Clemens and Kerry Wood. But it was pulling for Martinez to outdo himself.
Manager Jimy Williams could have removed him after a two-out single by Raul
Ibanez, but let Martinez, who had thrown 125 pitches, face Seattle's David Bell,
who had homered earlier. Martinez got Bell to fly out and left to a standing
ovation.
Why not
trust Martinez? He has 10 or more strikeouts in six straight outings, a feat
matched only by Randy Johnson since 1987.
In the
fourth inning, Martinez struck out the side for the 119th time in his career. He
lost his no-hitter on a double by Segui in the fifth. Bell hit a solo home run
in the sixth, the first off Martinez in 221 batters. Other than that, Seattle
was overmatched as Martinez allowed four hits and one walk over eight innings.
Derek Lowe pitched the ninth.
Martinez had
plenty of offensive support, racking up 11 hits. Nomar Garciaparra led the way
with two doubles and two singles and three RBIs. The four-hit game was the
eighth of his career and gave him 14 runs batted in for the series. Jose
Offerman went 3 for 5 with two RBIs.
But the
hitters weren't the story tonight. |
