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Is
Pedro Martinez un-hittable this season?
 In
two 2000 starts, Pedro Martinez now is 2-0 with an 0.63 ERA and 23
strikeouts. Starting where he left off last season, when he lead the
American League with 313 strikeouts, he's off to an impressive start
toward a second consecutive punchout crown.
After pitching a masterful seven shutout innings on Seattle in the
season opener on Tuesday, Martinez laid another seven innings' worth of
zeroes on Anaheim Sunday 4/9/2000, until he finally left things to Red Sox
closer Derek Lowe with one out in the eighth. Lowe allowed one of two
inherited runners to find his way home, and the run was charged to
Martinez -- thus snapping a streak of 32 1/3 scoreless innings dating back
to last year (and including the postseason).
Overall, Martinez hadn't allowed an earned run in 35 1/3 innings. And
since yielding three runs to Oakland last Aug. 19, Martinez, in 13
appearances (11 starts) has surrendered a mere six earned runs in his past
87 1/3 innings -- a 0.62 ERA.
"You don't sit on pitches with him because he doesn't pitch in a
pattern,'' said Angels center fielder Garret Anderson, who went 0-for-4 on
the day -- 0-for-3 with two strikeouts against Martinez. "He can
pitch any pitch at any time.''
Martinez throws a fastball, cut fastball, change-up and curve, and each
begins its journey to the plate from the same arm slot -- thus rendering
it nearly impossible for a hitter to adjust in time to react. A 98 mph
fastball appears the same as an 81 mph changeup out of Martinez's hand.
The result usually comes in one of two forms: The hitter swings at a pitch
that isn't there, or he watches one that is.
Martinez, the only Boston pitcher to win this season, struck out 12 in
7 1/3 innings Sunday as the Red Sox beat the Anaheim Angels 5-2 and ended
a four-game losing streak.
"I'm not here to judge outings. I'm here to pitch," said
Martinez (2-0), who had his streak of scoreless innings stopped at 32.
"My changeup was better, my curveball was better," he said.
"I worked on them in the bullpen. Everything seems to be coming along
now. It was just a good overall game. We hit the ball better, played
better defense, pitched better, and we got a win."
The unanimous AL Cy Young winner allowed one run and five hits, and struck
out at least 10 for the 10th straight start. The Red Sox are 2-4 this
year. Besides Martinez, Boston's starters are 0-3 with an 8.64 ERA.
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