Martin, Dodgers Are a Good Fit

Russell Martin won’t start today behind the plate, a combination of rest and unfamiliarity with starter Mark Hendrickson. Good news for Martin, who could certainly use the time off. Potential bad news for the Dodgers, who have come to rely on the rookie in ways no one thought possible.

When Martin starts at catcher, as he did Tuesday against the Florida Marlins, the Dodgers are 49-29 and have a .628 winning percentage. When he’s giving signals behind the plate, Dodgers pitchers have a 3.82 earned-run average.

And Tuesday, Martin’s line-drive single to left started a four-run seventh inning in a game the Dodgers won, 4-0.

Tangible and intangible evidence of the role Martin, 23, plays on a first-place team.

Before the seventh, no Dodger led off an inning with a hit, so when Martin singled to start the inning, Manager Grady Little knew the importance of it. He replaced starter Chad Billingsley with Ramon Martinez, who was instructed to bunt Martin to second. When Kenny Lofton doubled two batters later, Martin raced home to score the first run.

“My job as a leadoff hitter is to try to get on base,” Martin said. “I found a way to do that.”

As solid as his bat and his .303 average are, it’s Martin’s savvy behind the plate that makes him such an asset. In the last three days, the rookie has caught Greg Maddux, Derek Lowe and Billingsley, three pitchers with different styles and varying degrees of experience.

“My job is to know what type of pitchers they are,” Martin said. “Lowe is a sinker pitcher. Maddux is the same way. They all have different stuff.”

Billingsley sees the way Martin has performed and is impressed.

“This is his first year, and the way he’s handled all these guys is unbelievable,” Billingsley said. “He’s unbelievable behind the plate.”

Little speaks often about his young players, especially Billingsley, who gain maturity and wherewithal with each start. The same is true for Martin, who said he learns a little more with each appearance behind the plate.

Almost always, the progress is incremental, but since arriving in the majors on May 5 (a two-for-four performance against Milwaukee) he has made tremendous growth. So too have the Dodgers, who have won 17 of 18 games, the first time that’s happened since 1899.

“This is the first for me,” Martin said.

Billingsley said his familiarity with Martin was a big reason for his success against the Marlins. He has pitched for Martin since 2003, when both were in rookie ball.

Three years later, Martin knows when Billingsley is stressing.

“Keep being aggressive,” Martin will say when Billingsley struggles. “Start trusting yourself.”

Martin has become a calming influence for the young pitcher.

“He’s a great ballplayer,” Billingsley said. “He’s going to be good for many years.”