Martinez Is Back in Red Sox Win

The Boston Red Sox welcomed a more sound Pedro Martinez back to the rotation. Defeating the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for the ninth consecutive time was a bonus.

Martinez pitched five encouraging innings in his return Thursday night and the American League East leaders rallied in the ninth to win, 7-4, at St. Petersburg, Fla., and increase their division lead to four games over the New York Yankees.

“I felt good,” said Martinez, who sat out a scheduled start at Atlanta last Friday because of right shoulder tendinitis.

“I was just looking forward to feeling a little bit better and see if the inflammation came down, hopefully get some work in and not feel as bad as I did the last outing.

“It was exactly the way I wanted it.”

The Red Sox scored four runs in the ninth to win. A two-out wild pitch tied the score and Manny Ramirez hit a three-run double as the Red Sox improved to 9-0 against the last-place Devil Rays.

The Red Sox have won four in a row overall, and the Devil Rays have lost their last six.

“Pedro, to me, threw the ball fine. He felt good,” Red Sox Manager Jimy Williams said. “I thought as the game went on, he threw better with each inning. So that’s a good sign.”

Martinez gave up one run and four hits. The three-time Cy Young winner struck out six and walked one.

“I wasn’t very familiar with the mound,” he said. “Remember, I haven’t pitched in 12 days. I barely got to the mound in Atlanta, and it wasn’t for very long. I was trying to be conservative with the amount of pitches I threw on the side and let the inflammation come down. It went fine. I’m feeling good now.”

While the Devil Rays thought he might skip another turn for precautionary reasons, Martinez declared himself ready to return after playing catch in the outfield at Tropicana Field.

He had thrown 89 pitches and retired his last seven batters when he was pulled with the score tied, 1-1.

“After the All-Star break, I should be fine to just go back to normal,” Martinez said.

Said the Devil Rays’ Ben Grieve, who had a run-scoring single against Martinez in the first inning: “He had good stuff, but he didn’t have his normal command.

“He still had good command, but not good command for him.”

Seattle 12, Oakland 10--Edgar Martinez’s two-run double in the eighth inning was the difference at Oakland.

Mike Cameron, Al Martin, Bret Boone and David Bell homered for the Mariners, who had 17 hits and gained a four-game split and avoided what would have been their first series loss since dropping two of three to the New York Yankees from May 18-20.

Jason Giambi, Jeremy Giambi and Eric Chavez homered for the A’s, all against reliever Ryan Franklin.

Chicago 6, Baltimore 0--Kip Wells gave up three hits in eight innings and newcomer Jose Canseco doubled for the White Sox at Baltimore.

The White Sox hit four homers to back Wells, who struck out six and walked none before being lifted three outs short of his first complete game in the majors.

Wells did not allow a runner past second base and retired 16 consecutive batters before Cal Ripken singled with one out in the eighth.

Cleveland 9, Minnesota 6--Juan Gonzalez homered and had five runs batted in as the Indians moved back into first place in the American League Central with a victory at Cleveland in a game called in the seventh inning because of rain.

Gonzalez hit a three-run homer in the first against J.C. Romero (1-4) and the Indians moved one-half game up on the Twins by winning two of three in the series.

The finale, delayed for 41 minutes in the second, was called by umpires after a 61-minute stoppage in the top of the seventh when the grounds crew couldn’t cover the infield because the waterlogged tarp was too heavy to drag.

New York at Detroit, ppd.--No makeup date for the rainout was immediately announced.