Demotion After a Shutout Surprises Ramon Martinez

Ramon Martinez thought pitching a complete-game shutout against the Atlanta Braves would be enough to keep him on the Dodgers’ staff.

It wasn’t, but Martinez is confident he’ll be back.

“I proved to a lot of people that I can pitch in the big leagues. I hope to be back soon,” he said after rejoining the Albuquerque Dukes, the Dodgers’ Triple-A farm club.

Martinez, 21, a right-hander from the Dominican Republic, was called up a week ago to give the weary Dodger pitching staff some rest. His nine-inning performance Monday night proved even more important after the Dodger pitching staff worked 35 innings in two games Saturday night and Sunday against the Houston Astros.

Martinez, who was 1-3 in six starts for the Dodgers during the pennant run last season, gave up just six hits and one walk while striking out nine to earn the 7-0 victory en route to a Dodger sweep of the doubleheader in Atlanta.

“My fastball had very good location and my changeup was real good,” Martinez said. “I just threw my game -- nice and relaxed.”

Martinez, 8-1 this season with the Dukes, was prepared for a lengthy stay with the Dodgers and left Albuquerque last weekend with all his belongings

“They didn’t tell me anything about one start,” he said. “They told me I was going up and to take everything I own.”

But after pitching the shutout Monday night, he received word he was headed back to Albuquerque.

“That was a big surprise,” he said. “When I pitched that game, I really thought I was going to stay there. I’m disappointed, but there’s nothing I can do about it. They called me and I did the job.”

Martinez said Dodger executives have told him they would prefer to have him in the minors as a starter than in the bullpen in the big leagues.

Martinez, in his fifth year in the Dodgers organization, said for the time being he prefers playing with the Dukes rather than traveling back and forth between Albuquerque and Los Angeles. “I don’t care when they bring me up. I just want to go up there and stay there.”