Rainout Washes Away Martinez’s Lead

Starter Ramon Martinez, who tore his right groin muscle at Wrigley Field on April 6, returned to the same site Monday only to have a 5-0, first-inning lead against the Chicago Cubs washed away.

The Dodgers’ game was postponed after a one-hour, 38-minute rain delay and will be made up as part of a doubleheader today at 10:30 a.m. (PDT).

The Dodgers, who had not been rained out since July 14, 1994 at Philadelphia, still moved into sole possession of first place for the first time since opening day. They entered the day tied for first with San Diego and took a half-game lead when the Padres lost, 9-3, to the Atlanta Braves.

Martinez, who faced two batters, will pitch again today against Amaury Telemaco. Ismael Valdes will start the second game, and likely face Mike Campbell, who threw 38 pitches Monday for the Cubs.

“I still get my start,” Martinez said, “but man, that five-run lead would have been nice. I wish I still got that.”

Instead, nothing will count, not Raul Mondesi’s three-run homer, not Todd Hollandsworth’s two-run homer, not the singles by Mike Piazza and Eric Karros.

“What can you do?” Hollandsworth shrugged. “You can’t control the weather. I don’t know everybody’s asking me questions. Today was not an official day.”

Hollandsworth said he once lost a grand slam because of a rainout in 1994 while playing for triple-A Albuquerque. It was more painful, he said, because that would have given him 91 runs batted in with eight games remaining to reach 100. He finished the season with 91.

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Dodger Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully, who filled in for Mel Allen when he lost his voice calling Mickey Mantle’s home run during the 1963 World Series off Sandy Koufax, said that Allen meant as much to the Yankees as any of their star players. Allen, 83, died Sunday.

“He was special,” Scully said. “He was the Yankees and the Yankees were him.”

Scully said that for the longest time he was asked about replacing Allen in Game 4 of the World Series that the Dodgers swept.

“People would stop me because they were sure that Mel was emotionally upset because they thought the Yankees might lose in four,” Scully said. “People don’t realize that Mel was sick the entire time. He had to be careful. But when Mantle hit the homer, he made the call, ‘Going . . . going . . . gone.’ And when he said, ‘Gone,’ I could hear his voice coming apart.

“I told people, ‘You don’t understand. Our names aren’t brought up when they cut up World Series’ shares.’ ”

The Yankees honored Allen on Monday with a moment of silence and a three-minute video of career highlights before their home game against the Minnesota Twins.

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The Dodgers stayed away from the raucous celebration in Chicago Sunday night, with players such as outfielder Milt Thompson refusing to leave his hotel room.

“I still remember being in Toronto [as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies] when they won the World Series,” Thompson said. “It was a nightmare.

“We couldn’t even get back to our hotel. People were rocking our bus. We eventually had to get out of it.”

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Dodger starter Hideo Nomo, who left his last start because of a strained right calf, pitched on the side Monday with no problems. . . . The Dodgers, believing center fielder Roger Cedeno’s nervousness might be the cause of him getting poor jumps on balls, have switched him to left field and Hollandsworth to center. Cedeno will play center in the games that Billy Ashley starts in left. . . . Greg Gagne, who missed a flight and couldn’t play Saturday, began his rehabilitative assignment Sunday in Albuquerque. He went one for three with a double and a run batted in. . . . The Dodgers have already sold out their July 4 game against the Colorado Rockies.