Martinez Adds Another Notch to His Belt of Big-Pitch Victims

In the All-Star game, the victim was Jose Canseco. Three days later, it was Ryne Sandberg.

On Wednesday night, St. Louis’ Vince Coleman became exhibit No. 3 in support of the theory that nobody in the National League throws a big pitch like Dodger pitcher Ramon Martinez.

Martinez protected a two-run lead by striking out Coleman with runners on first and second in the sixth inning and the Cardinals never threatened again in the Dodgers’ 6-1 victory before 25,328 at Busch Stadium.

Martinez did more than record his 11th victory while striking out eight in seven innings to increase his major league leading total to 142. He proved, for a third consecutive game, that one can appreciate his night’s work by watching him face only one batter.

“Some guys get in tight situations and suddenly start making bad pitches,” Dodger catcher Mike Scioscia said. “Ramon does not change. It has to do with his makeup. He’s real cool out there.”

In winning for the fifth time in seven games on this trip, the Dodgers were helped by Hubie Brooks’ fourth three-hit game of a season, improving an admittedly disappointing average to .253. His night included three singles, two RBIs and two runs scored. Eddie Murray added his 12th homer.

But, as usual, when the 22-year-old Martinez pitches, he produced the big play.

In a confrontation in last week’s All-Star game, Martinez retired Oakland’s Canseco on a two-out grounder with runners on first and second in the third inning of a scoreless tie. In the Dodgers’ 5-2 victory over Chicago Friday, he struck out Sandberg with the go-ahead run on third base in the eighth inning.

He stretched his big-pitch streak to three games Wednesday after the Cardinals had scored with two out in the sixth on an infield single by Todd Zeile and a grounder by Terry Pendleton that skipped off Murray’s glove at first base for a two-base error, only Murray’s fourth. Martinez then walked Jose Oquendo, bringing up Coleman, who was pinch-hitting for Craig Wilson.

“I knew if I walk Coleman, I’ve got big trouble,” Martinez said. “I knew I had to pitch to him.”

They battled to a full count. Then Coleman fouled off four pitches before Martinez received a nudge from Scioscia.

“I knew I had struck out Coleman before on fastballs, but they had all been outside,” Martinez said. “I look and see Scioscia calling for a fastball inside. All I had to do was get it there.

“I’m not nervous. I’m just thinking about what I got to do. And then I do it.”

Coleman swung and missed and the National League East’s last-place Cardinals eventually fell to their fifth loss in seven games. The Dodgers took the season series, 7-5, including winning five of six games at Busch Stadium after being swept in six games here last season.

Martinez, who allowed one unearned run in seven innings, lowered his earned-run average to 2.97. He has allowed more than two runs twice in his last 11 starts. Jay Howell, finally throwing as he did last season, pitched two perfect innings to record his fourth save in four appearances covering six games.

Not that Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda was totally thrilled. He loves watching Martinez winning dramatic confrontations as much as the next fan, but said that Martinez should not make things so tough on himself.

“He gets in too many deep (three-ball) counts,” Lasorda said, unhappy that Martinez needed 125 pitches to get through seven innings. “When he gets better command of his stuff, that’s when he’ll be a better pitcher.”

Lasorda warned that Martinez’s coolness may not hold up under repeated fire.

“When you put yourself in that position, you are treading on thin ice,” he said. “You have got to throw the ball over the plate. And sometimes you might feel you have to let up on the pitch a bit to make that happen.

“When you let up a bit, that is when you get hurt.”

Offensively, Brooks hopes he will finally start pouring it on. Since his three-run homer beat San Diego on opening day, he has alternated big hits with long cold spells.

However, he has hit safely in 11 of his last 13 games, at a .320 pace. And even if he has had only one homer in his last 108 at-bats, he said he will be happy if his swing has finally become consistent.

“I’ve learned, I’ve got to forget about the past part of the season and just go forward,” Brooks said.

After Murray’s homer to start the sixth made it 2-0. Brooks followed with a single, and later scored on Alfredo Griffin’s suicide squeeze bunt. In the eighth inning against former Dodger reliever Tom Niedenfuer, Brooks singled and eventually scored on a wild pitch.

Then in the ninth, after Murray was intentionally walked to load the bases, Brooks singled to center against just-entered reliever Scott Terry to score two runs. Brooks, like Martinez, is best in the big play.

Dodger Notes

The game was delayed 23 minutes at the outset because of rain. . . . Replays showed that the Cardinals did not score their only run of the game, as Mike Scioscia tagged Todd Zeile after he missed home plate while trying to score on Eddie Murray’s error. But Zeile, shielded from home plate umpire Fred Brocklander by Scioscia, crawled to the plate, and was ruled safe. “He may have touched the plate between the sixth and seventh tags I put on him, but that’s it,” Scioscia said.

Tom Lasorda had lunch at the home of former Cardinal Manager Whitey Herzog. Lasorda said he told Herzog that he never would have quit, as Herzog did recently. “I told him, ‘I am not giving this job to anybody,’ ” Lasorda said. “They are going to have to take this job from me.” . . . When pinch-hitter Chris Gwynn flied to center while batting for Ramon Martinez in the eighth, it was only his seventh at-bat since July 4. Gwynn, who has 75 at-bats this season, is one of four seemingly forgotten Dodgers. Others with fewer than 100 at-bats are Rick Dempsey, Jose Gonzalez and Mickey Hatcher.