| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME LOG
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- After hitting his first batter,
Pedro Martinez was nearly perfect.
|  | | Scott Hatteberg found himself surrounded by Devil Rays during the first-inning dust-up. |
Twenty-four up, twenty-four down.
Then came John Flaherty's leadoff single in the ninth.
"I don't really care. I've achieved enough," Martinez said
after finishing with a one-hitter Tuesday night in Boston's
beanball- and brawl-filled 8-0 win over Tampa Bay.
"I've had enough achievement in my career," Martinez said. "A
no-hitter is not what's going to dictate what kind of pitcher I am.
I think my career is more interesting than one game."
After hitting Gerald Williams with his fourth pitch of the
night, Martinez (15-4) was perfect until Flaherty singled to right-center field on a 2-2 pitch. Martinez then retired his next three
batters, finishing with the third one-hitter of his career.
He struck out 13, including Greg Vaughn and Fred McGriff three
times each, and walked none.
"Pedro was totally dominating," Flaherty said. "We didn't get
much against him. It was a bad ballgame for us."
Eight Devil Rays -- five players, manager Larry Rothschild and
two coaches -- were ejected in the first seven innings during five
altercations, primarily caused by four hit batters, including
Boston's Brian Daubach twice.
Tampa Bay thought Martinez hit Williams intentionally, and Daubach became a target for Devil Rays pitchers after the first baseman joined the fray when Williams charged the mound and landed a punch.
"The whole thing was we thought Daubach threw some cheap shots in the pile," said Devil Rays manager Larry Rothschild, who was ejected for arguing that Martinez should have been tossed out for throwing at Williams.
"You've got to protect your players," the manager added.
"You're not going to let that happen."
|
One-hit wonder
|
|
Pedro Martinez has thrown three complete game, one-hitters in his career. Below is a rundown of the three games:
|
|
Date
|
Opp.
|
ER
|
BB
|
SO
|
|
8/29/00
|
T.B.
|
0
|
0
|
13
|
|
9/10/00
|
NYY
|
1
|
0
|
17
|
|
7/13/97*
|
Cin.
|
0
|
1
|
9
|
|
* As a member of the Expos
|
Martinez, the AL Cy Young Award winner, lowered his major
league-leading ERA to 1.68, throwing 110 pitches, including 71
strikes.
On June 3, 1995, when he was with Montreal, Martinez became only
the second pitcher in the history of the major leagues to take a
perfect game into extra innings, before allowing a leadoff double
to San Diego's Bip Roberts leading off the 10th.
The only other pitcher to accomplish the feat was Harvey Haddix
of Pittsburgh in 1959. He pitched 12 perfect innings in that game
before losing in the 13th.
Under amended no-hitter rules adopted by an eight-man committee
on statistical accuracy in 1991, Martinez received credit for
neither a perfect game nor a no-hitter.
"I'm not disappointed at all. I wanted to win a ballgame. I'm
not there to pitch no-hitters and stuff. The days that it happens,
I'll take them," Martinez said.
Flaherty lined his hit after Martinez carefully removed a chain from around his neck that broke on the previous pitch.
"He hit a good pitch. I have to tip my hat to him and just go
away," the Martinez said. "I lost with a fastball, the way it
should have been."
Carl Everett went 4-for-5 and equaled a career high with six RBI. He had a two-run double in the third, a solo homer in the
fifth and a three-run seventh-inning homer. The first homer was
Everett's 100th, including 32 this season.
"Unfortunately, we had some disagreements out there. But I
wanted him to throw a no-hitter," Everett said. "It just is
amazing that someone like him has never thrown one. I just wanted
him to do it. When Flaherty got the hit, I wanted to have rubber
arms and try to grab that."
Williams and Rothschild were ejected in the first. Williams, hit near the left hand, took a several steps toward first base, alternating his stare between his hand and Martinez. He then charged the mound and threw a right-handed punch. Williams was then was tackled
from behind by catcher Jason Varitek.
Williams was restrained by several different people, including
Vaughn and Red Sox coach Jim Rice.
Like Rothschild, the Devil Rays center fielder thought Martinez
should have been ejected based on his history. The right-hander has
hit one batter (14) for about every two he's walked (27) this season, which Tampa Bay offered as evidence of what kind of control he has.
"I want to remain professional," Williams said. "Sometimes,
it becomes increasingly difficult when you're given a guy's
background. That's all I want to say about it."
There was considerable pushing and shoving after both benches
and bullpens emptied. Daubach, who emerged from the pile holding
his left arm, was pushed from behind by Devil Rays closer Roberto Hernandez.
Rothschild was ejected by second base umpire Tim McClelland, and
the game was delayed 12 minutes.
Dave Eiland (2-2), Tampa Bay's starting pitcher, and coach Bill
Russell, who became acting manager following Rothschild's ejection,
were tossed in the third after Eiland hit Daubach and Nomar
Garciaparra with pitches.
Daubach hit the dirt to avoid a high and inside pitch, then was hit on the next pitch. After Everett doubled, Garciaparra was hit in the back and Eiland was ejected.
Cory Lidle was ejected in the seventh after throwing a pitch behind Daubach and coach Jose Cardenal was tossed because he was
acting manager. Tony Fiore relieved, threw an inside pitch to
Daubach, then hit him with his second pitch.
Both benches emptied, but there were no punches thrown. Williams
came out of Tampa Bay's clubhouse and ran back on the field, in
front of the Devil Rays' dugout.
Vaughn was ejected by plate umpire Phil Cuzzi in the bottom of
the seventh inning for arguing balls and strikes after Martinez,
who was working on a no-hit bid, threw a called third strike by
him.
After the game, Daubach was taken to a hospital for
precautionary X-rays on his left arm. Third baseman Lou Merloni,
who left the game with a mild concussion after winding up at the
bottom of the pile, was hospitalized overnight for observation.
Game notes
Martinez has 67 double-digit strikeout games, including 13
this year. He has hit 14 batters, tops in the AL. His other
one-hitters were for Montreal against Cincinnati on July 13, 1997,
and against the New York Yankees on Sept. 10, 1999. ... Eiland had
hit just two batters over his previous 48 innings. ... It was the
third meeting between Eiland and Martinez since July 7, 1999. The
Devil Rays right-hander won the first meeting and the duo did not
figure in the decision in an Aug. 14 game. ... Boston 3B Lou
Merloni left with a mild concussion after the second inning.
| |
ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Boston Clubhouse
Tampa Bay Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 8
Tampa Bay 0
Detroit 12
Baltimore 2
Kansas City 7
Minnesota 3
Cleveland 12
Texas 1
Anaheim 9
Toronto 4
Chi. White Sox 3
Oakland 0
Seattle 5
NY Yankees 3
Florida 3
St. Louis 1
Arizona 8
Montreal 7
Pittsburgh 8
San Francisco 0
Houston 11
NY Mets 1
Colorado 2
Philadelphia 1
Cincinnati 4
Atlanta 2
Chicago Cubs 7
San Diego 6
Los Angeles 7
Milwaukee 2
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Rich Eisen and Buck Martinez take a look at Pedro's night in Tampa Bay.
RealVideo: | 28.8
 Pedro Martinez tells the D-Rays to swallow it.
wav: 128 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Gerald Williams tries to act professional.
wav: 147 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Pedro Martinez knew it was important to stay in the game. (NESN)
wav: 255 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Martinez was feeding off the emotion. (NESN)
wav: 214 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Greg Vaughn says it's not right.
wav: 87 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
|
