Dodgers Win, but Martinez Is Still Looking for His First

The kid, obviously, doesn’t have what it takes to win in the major leagues. All he has done in two starts with the Dodgers is allow two runs in 14 innings, which has resulted in high praise, a low earned-run average but two no-decisions.

The plight of Ramon Martinez, 20, would be more distressing to the Dodgers had they not once again won. This time, they defeated the Philadelphia Phillies, 2-1, Thursday in front of 34,467 at Dodger Stadium, shortly after Martinez’s late-inning departure.

“He’s going to get plenty of wins, the way he pitches,” catcher Mike Scioscia said. “Don’t you worry about that.”

Martinez, not quite as dominating as in his debut last weekend, nonetheless held the Phillies to one run and four hits through seven innings, only to leave with the teams tied, 1-1. From that point, the Dodgers struggled but eventually completed a three-game sweep of the National League East’s last-place team.

The Dodgers scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning off loser Kevin Gross, who suffered an even worse fate than Martinez. Dave Anderson produced the game-winning hit, a bloop single into shallow right field to score Tracy Woodson from second base.

Holding the lead was almost more difficult for the Dodger bullpen, which was without Alejandro Pena, who is bothered by a stiff right shoulder. Jay Howell, who retired the side in the eighth inning and got the first out in the ninth, walked two straight batters and was replaced by left-hander Jesse Orosco.

Orosco walked pinch-hitter Greg Gross to load the bases and ran the count to 2-and-2 against Phil Bradley, who then hit a slow grounder to short. Alfredo Griffin charged the ball and threw it in the dirt at home plate. Scioscia smothered the ball, his right foot touching the plate, and blocked Steve Jeltz from scoring just in case his foot had slipped. Given that reprieve, Orosco then forced Bob Dernier to fly to center field to end it.

Howell (3-3) earned the victory, and Orosco was credited with his eighth save.

It was the Dodgers’ fourth straight victory.

Helping the Dodgers increase their NL West lead, plus the satisfaction of pitching well, lessened the disappointment of failing to earn his first major league victory. “The most important thing is that we got the win,” Martinez said. “I’m pitching well and, well, you know, I was trying to win. But it’s OK.”

Afterward, Martinez’s Dodger teammates seemed to be saying: “Too bad, kid. Don’t take it personally.” Regardless of the win column, Martinez’s statistics in his first two starts have been impressive. He has a 1.23 earned-run average, has allowed a total of 8 hits and his strikeouts-to-walks ratio is 12-8 in 14 innings.

What impressed the Dodgers more about Martinez on Thursday was his ability to work out of jams, surprising to some because of his inexperience. Without prompting, even Manager Tom Lasorda compared Martinez to Fernando Valenzuela, circa ‘81, in that respect.

“The amazing thing about him is that, like Fernando, he’s got that poise,” Lasorda said. “He doesn’t get rattled easily.”

Martinez faced several Phillie rallies, either working out of them himself or receiving help from his defense and, in one instance, coach Joe Amalfitano.

The only run Martinez allowed came in the second inning when he gave up singles to Chris James and Darren Daulton that put runners on first and third with one out.

Martinez had a chance to escape that predicament when Jeltz hit a potential double-play grounder to short, but the ball took a bad hop and bounced off Griffin’s chest, allowing James to score. Seemingly undaunted, Martinez retired the next two batters to limit the Phillies’ early 1-0 lead.

Martinez continued his escape-artist routine in the third inning, when Philadelphia advanced a runner to third base with two outs. But Martinez got Ricky Jordan to line out to left.

After the Dodgers tied it, 1-1, in the fourth when John Shelby’s sacrifice fly scored Kirk Gibson, who reached on a bloop double and went to third on a groundout, Martinez faced his most difficult situation of the afternoon and was aided by Amalfitano’s alertness from the dugout.

With one out, James on third and a 1-and-1 count to Jeltz, Amalfitano gave Scioscia a sign for a pitch out, believing the Phillies might attempt a squeeze play. He said he did not steal a sign, that it was just a feeling.

Amalfitano’s premonition was right, and James was caught in a rundown between third and home and eventually tagged out. Martinez got the final out, and excitedly ran to the dugout at the inning’s end.

Said Amalfitano: “I just had a feeling, and I took a chance. (The catcher) is supposed to look in the dugout in that situation to look for a sign. You don’t like to yell anything, because it might tip off the third base coach.”

The way Martinez talked, the pitchout was his best pitch of the game.

“Mike Scioscia, when he called that pitchout, it surprised me a lot,” Martinez said. “When he got (the runner) out at third base, I was excited. It gave me more confidence.”

Confidence is one thing Martinez does not seem to lack. As Valenzuela did at his best, Martinez pitches better when he is in a jam.

“I think to myself, when a guy’s on second and third, I have to concentrate and strike the guy out. And I get him. I have to concentrate more, because there might be a speedy runner on first.”

The Dodgers didn’t have many baserunners against Gross, who retired 12 straight batters between the fourth and seventh innings. If Martinez thought he was a hard-luck pitcher Thursday, Gross had an even better case. He pitched eight innings, giving up five hits and two runs, walking none and striking out five.

“Gross always pitches that way against us,” Anderson said. “We’ve always had problems with him. We were fortunate to win. I think the same thing with Ramon. He pitched good enough to win. The guy’s done everything we’ve asked him to.”

Now that he’s done it all, maybe Martinez finally will win a game.

Dodger Notes

John Tudor, a winner in his Dodger debut Wednesday night, had X-rays of his left elbow taken before Thursday’s game. Tudor said he had felt a twinge of pain in the elbow, which had happened several times this season when pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals. Both Tudor and Charlie Strasser, the Dodgers’ assistant trainer, said it is not a serious condition and that Tudor is expected to make his next start Monday against New York. “I haven’t talked to Dr. (Frank) Jobe, but we don’t anticipate anything showing up on the X-rays,” Strasser said. “(Jobe) would have contacted us if there had been anything.” . . . The reason the Dodgers stayed with left-hander Jesse Orosco in the ninth inning, even though the Phillies kept sending up right-handed pinch-hitters, was that Alejandro Pena said he felt “tightness” in his right shoulder and needed a day off. “No pain at all, just a little tight,” Pena said. “I threw a couple times in the bullpen (Wednesday night) and I felt it today.” Pena said he should be available for tonight’s game. . . . Catcher Mike Scioscia and home plate umpire Tom Hallion exchanged angry words in the fourth inning. Scioscia explained: “Hallion thought Ramon (Martinez) was staring him down (after a ball call). We weren’t showing anyone up. I think Tom misread what Ramon did.”