No Gifts for Angels From Hot Martinez

That wasn’t Pedro Martinez on the Edison Field mound Sunday.

To Mo Vaughn, that skinny figure in a Boston Red Sox uniform was the modern-day Grinch, a real-life villain who shredded the Angel lineup like Dr. Seuss’ cunning character carved up Who-ville.

“If you can hit his mistakes, if you can get to him early, you’ve got a shot,” said Vaughn, the Angel designated hitter Sunday. “But if you give him a big lead, you can cancel Christmas.”

Martinez stuffed lumps of coal in the Angels’ stockings, limiting them to one run on five hits in 7 1/3 innings and striking out 12 to lead the Red Sox to a 5-2 victory before 35,847.

Troy O’Leary, a former Cypress High star, hit two of Boston’s four solo home runs--Carl Everett and Trot Nixon had the others--and Angel right-hander Kent Bottenfield (three runs on five hits in six innings) took the loss.

The Angels shouldn’t feel too bad. Martinez, the unanimous 1999 American League Cy Young Award winner, does this to everyone.

In fact, the Angels did well to score against him in the eighth, when Benji Gil singled, Darin Erstad--who extended his hitting streak to six with a first-inning single--walked, and Adam Kennedy, after Boston Manager Jimy Williams pulled Martinez for reliever Derek Lowe, singled Gil home.

That ended Martinez’s streak of 32 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings, including the 1999 postseason. Martinez struck out 47 during the streak, which dated to Sept. 27, when the Orioles scored on a Martinez passed ball.

“What am I? I am just a man, like everybody else,” Martinez said when asked about going so long without giving up a run. “I give up runs. Sometimes I give up runs big time.”

Yeah, like Scrooge--before the three ghosts got to him--gave up his money.

The Angels did get a runner to third in the first and third innings, “but he turned it up a notch with runners in scoring position,” Angel Manager Mike Scioscia said. “That shows you what a great pitcher he is.”

What’s frightening is Martinez may be getting better. He had great control Sunday, throwing first-pitch strikes to 20 of 28 batters, and while he blew away several Angels with his explosive, rising 95-mph fastball and fooled many with his devastating changeup, five of his strikeouts came on curveballs.

“When I was [in Boston] he didn’t use his breaking ball like he does now, he used to use it to set up guys,” Vaughn said. “Now he uses it to get guys out. It’s hard to say this, but he’s gotten better, he really has. And that’s scary.”

Since last Aug. 19, when Martinez gave up three runs to Oakland, he has pitched 13 times, including 11 starts, giving up six earned runs in 87 1/3 innings for an 0.62 ERA.

Martinez struck out the side in the second inning with each of his pitches, punching out Garret Anderson with a curve, Troy Glaus with a sizzling fastball and Scott Spiezio with a changeup.

The key now for the Angels is not letting Sunday’s game put too big of a dent in the momentum they gained with three consecutive victories, one over the Yankees and two over the Red Sox.

Last May 7, Martinez struck out 15 Angels in a 6-0 victory in the first game of a three-game series. The Angels scored three runs in two weekend games and were swept by the Red Sox.

“We just have to make sure he’s on the bus or plane that takes them out of town,” Scioscia said.