Martinez Showcases Best Stuff

Just when Pedro Martinez is pitching consistently like an All-Star, he’s decided not to be one.

He struck out 14 in eight innings as the Boston Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 4-0, Monday night at Boston. Then he said being ready to help his team in the second half of the season is more important than pitching for the American League All-Stars, so he declined the invitation.

“It’s a perfect time for me to take a little break and make sure I continue to be the way I have,” he said, “because I wouldn’t trade a World Series for an All-Star.”

Boston’s second win in nine games moved it within 1 1/2 games of the first-place New York Yankees in the AL East.

The Red Sox finally got production from Tony Clark, who has been in a season-long slump. He had a double and single and drove in two runs off Steve Parris (0-2).

“I’m not naive enough to think the light gets turned off and turned on that easily,” said Clark, signed as a free agent after seven seasons with Detroit. “It was one night where I had some at bats where the balls found some holes.”

He provided more than enough offense for Martinez (10-2), who threw 117 pitches. Alan Embree pitched a perfect ninth.

Martinez got five consecutive outs on strikeouts when he struck out the side in the fifth and fanned the first two batters in the sixth.

He gave up seven hits and used strikeouts to get out of three of the four innings in which Toronto put men in scoring position.

“That’s the best I’ve ever seen him,” Shannon Stewart said. “I’ve always been able to pick up his ball. Tonight, he was lights out.”

Seattle 7, Kansas City 0--Jamie Moyer ran his string of shutout innings to 23 by pitching a five-hitter as the Mariners won at Seattle. Moyer (8-3) gave up three doubles, didn’t walk a batter and struck out three in lowering his earned-run average to 3.02.

Bret Boone and Edgar Martinez homered for the Mariners and Ichiro Suzuki, who went three for four, took over the major league batting lead from Kansas City’s Mike Sweeney, who was one for four. Suzuki is hitting .364 and Sweeney .360.

Minnesota 5, Oakland 4--Doug Mientkiewicz hit a two-run double in the seventh inning to help the Twins win at Oakland. John Mabry hit a three-run homer for the Athletics and he almost hit a grand slam in the third, but center fielder Torii Hunter robbed him with a spectacular leaping catch.

Eddie Guardado pitched the ninth for his 25th save.