Any more questions?
Pedro Martinez, who has been peppered all spring with queries about his arm slot, velocity, and ability to succeed after his 105th pitch, last night submitted a sweeping response. The Red Sox ace, in his first home start in the final year of his seven-year, $90 million contract, limited the Blue Jays to one run on four hits, two walks, and a hit batsman over 7 2/3 innings as he led his injury-riddled club to a 4-1 victory before an bedazzled 35,305 at Fenway Park.
"It was exactly what we needed," catcher Jason Varitek said. "It was an awesome pitching performance. He stepped it up when his team needed him most."
Outdueling Roy Halladay, the reigning Cy Young Award winner, Martinez mixed his rich array of pitches with a fastball that hit between 87-91 miles per hour to stymie the Jays. These were the same Jays who thumped him for six runs on eight hits, including two homers, before he could retire a batter in his final exhibition outing in Florida.
Martinez knew how badly the beleaguered Sox pen needed him to pitch deep into the game.
"I just tried to pick up my relievers," he said through the team's public relations director, Glenn Geffner. "They needed an outing like that from me, and I thank God I could deliver for them."
Martinez left little doubt he has yet to regain the dazzling speed of his signature fastball, but he showed again why he may not need it. For every bit of velocity he may have lost, even temporarily, he seems to have compensated by improving as a pitcher.
"I just hope people recognize that you can't panic when he doesn't have an incredible night," said right fielder Gabe Kapler, who made a spectacular catch behind Martinez. "It's unfair to Pedro to take a decent night and turn it into a nightmare. He sets such a high standard for himself that it's difficult for people to appreciate it when he has just an OK night for Pedro, which is a tremendous night for many, many people around the league."
Martinez allowed only one of the 29 batters he faced past first base as he struck out seven and otherwise perplexed the Jays. The only Toronto batter to reach second base was Orlando Hudson, who launched a solo homer in the seventh. And Martinez, who last year allowed batters to hit .364 after his 105th pitch -- an issue that dominated hot stove discussions after his role in the Game 7 disaster against the Yankees in last season's ALCS -- used his 106th pitch of the game (a 91-m.p.h. fastball) to fan Frank Catalanotto for the second out of the eighth.
