Martinez Adds to Padres’ Woes At the Plate

Facing a pitcher of the caliber of Ramon Martinez is not recommended therapy for a team in a batting slump.

Unfortunately for the Padres, it was Martinez’s turn to start Sunday for the Dodgers at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium. He subjected them to their third shutout in six games, 6-0, in front of 36,269.

The good news for the Padres was that they managed to hang on to first place in the National League West despite dropping to 8-5 after a 6-1 start.

Martinez had an earned-run average of 5.73, but only because he had a rare bad outing in a previous start. Against the Padres, he was the same magical pitcher who posted a 20-6 record last year.

“He’s one of the top few in baseball,” said Padre Manager Greg Riddoch, and none of the Padres would disagree. Martinez threw a five hitter, struck out nine and allowed only one runner to reach third base.

Said Shawn Abner, who doubled his first time up before striking out twice, “I’d rather not face him again this year.”

Abner said Martinez’s fastball virtually could not be hit.

“I don’t think he had a good curveball or changeup,” Abner said. “I got my hit off a changeup. But mostly he would just show you his breaking stuff and then blow heat by you.”

Martinez wasn’t even content with hurting the Padres with his strong right arm. He drove in the Dodgers’ first two runs with a single off Andy Benes in the second inning.

After the Dodgers had filled the bases with nobody out, Benes started a double play via the plate on Alfredo Griffin’s bounder. He then got Martinez into an 0-2 hole, only to hang a breaking ball that the left-handed hitting pitcher stroked into right field.

That one errant pitch was the key, although the outcome might have been different if newcomer Fred McGriff had chosen this day to begin living up to his reputation as a big run-producer.

In the first inning, Tony Fernandez and Tony Gwynn singled with one out, only to have McGriff fail for the 12th time in 13 opportunities with runners in scoring position. The first baseman hit a pop up, and Benito Santiago ended the threat by striking out.

McGriff is hitting .289, but his .077 average in clutch situations is not good. He only has one home run and seven runs batted in.

Martinez gave the Padres just two more chances. In the third, Gwynn singled again and McGriff walked with two out, but Santiago popped out. In the sixth, McGriff walked again with one out and Jerald Clark doubled with two out, but Jim Presley looked at a third strike.

Presley, who has been in and out of the lineup after starting the season at third base, now is hitting .077.

Benes, still searching for his first victory since last Aug. 24, lasted only four-plus innings. He was just two runs behind when he left, but the shaky San Diego bullpen let the game get out of hand.

After Pat Clements had bailed out Benes in the fifth, Rich Rodriguez served up Darryl Strawberry’s first Dodger home run in the seventh and Mark Gardner was roughed up for three runs in the ninth.

Strawberry carried a .189 average into the game, but had a double and a walk besides his homer, his first since last Sept. 23 and No. 253 of his career.

“I wasn’t really thinking about it,” Strawberry said. “If you go up there thinking you have to hit a home run, you’ll never hit one.”

The highlight of the Dodgers’ three-run ninth was Mike Scioscia’s first triple in almost four years. Like most catchers, Scioscia runs only slightly faster than a statue, but he somehow managed to leg it to third on a smash to right-center that produced two runs. He had hit his last previous triple in Cincinnati Aug. 3, 1987.

“It’s not a very commonplace thing,” Scioscia said. “When I hit the triple in Cincinnati, the ball ricocheted off the left fielder’s knee and rolled to the 404 sign. Anybody else would have been standing on home plate.”

In giving Benes a somewhat quick hook, Riddoch was influenced by the fact that the young right-hander had thrown 154 pitches his last time out, when he also was victimized by a shutout. He threw 84 this time in less than half a game, so Riddoch took no chances.

“I didn’t want to run him past 100 pitches again,” Riddoch said. “If it were later in the season, I might have, but this early, a pitcher’s arm isn’t up to that.”

PADRE ATTENDANCE Sunday: 36,269

1991 (10 dates): 278,465

1990 (10 dates): 298,657

Decrease: 20,192

1990 Average: 27,847