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GAME LOG
BOSTON (AP) -- Fans filled Fenway Park wondering if Pedro
Martinez was OK. They quickly got the answer they wanted.
They roared when he struck out two batters in the first inning,
cheered when he fanned the side in the second and applauded the
Boston Red Sox's 9-0 victory Saturday over the Texas Rangers.
|  | | Pedro Martinez was sharp against the Rangers, but he tired and said his shoulder isn't back to full strength. |
Martinez (14-4) struck out 10, allowed three singles and no
walks and lowered his major-league best ERA from 1.59 to 1.53.
"I can tell that the people are really worried," said
Martinez, who pulled himself out of his previous start after four
innings with a stiff right shoulder. "Even I was concerned the
first two innings."
Martinez left after seven innings and Bryce Florie completed
Boston's 10th shutout of the season, most in the AL. But Martinez
isn't back at full strength.
"Not yet," he said. "I have to keep working because (his arm)
got heavy on me in the innings that were a little longer."
There were plenty of those as Boston battered Matt Perisho (2-6)
after a prolonged offensive cold spell. Jason Varitek drove in four
runs and Lou Merloni knocked in three as the Red Sox won their fourth
straight and eighth in 11.
Merloni went 3-for-5 and is 14-for-24 (.583) in six games since
being recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket. He started the season with
Yokohama in Japan but had only 94 at-bats in 42 games.
"I'm just having fun," Merloni said. "I was in Japan sitting
on the bench, pinch hitting. That's not much fun. I just have good
aim. I hit a ball, look up and it's just dropping."
The Red Sox and Athletics are tied for the wild-card lead after Oakland lost 4-3 to Detroit later Saturday. They
remained three games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East and
need a healthy Martinez to have a legitimate playoff shot.
On Monday, he struck out four of Tampa Bay's first five batters
but took himself out after the fourth with a stiff right shoulder.
Boston won 7-3.
"I don't know if he feels 100 percent physically," catcher
Varitek said. "But he was 100 percent efficient in his pitches."
Throwing mostly fastballs and changeups, Martinez struck out 10
for the 12th time in 22 starts. He didn't walk a batter for the
fourth time in his last six starts, and didn't have one three-ball
count while throwing just 89 pitches.
"If he didn't work up a sweat in the bullpen, he won't need a
shower," Texas manager Johnny Oates said.
Texas lost for the 10th time in 12 games.
"There's going to be days when there's no light at the end of
the tunnel," Oates said.
Especially against Martinez.
In his third season with the Red Sox, his 784 strikeouts tied
Jim Lonborg for ninth place in club history.
Martinez struck out every Texas starter but Royce Clayton and
allowed only one runner to reach second when Rusty Greer stole the
base after singling in the first. Martinez retired 11 straight
hitters before Scarborough Green beat out a grounder to first
baseman Rico Brogna in the sixth. He then set down his last four
hitters.
Texas outfielder Pedro Valdes drew a tough opponent in his first
AL start.
"I've faced him before in spring training. I've seen him on
TV," Valdes said, "but being live was a lot different."
Unlike most of his starts, Martinez had plenty of support.
The Red Sox scored in the first on two walks and Troy O'Leary's
RBI single. In the second, they loaded the bases with no outs but
didn't score.
They added three runs on four hits in the third before knocking
Perisho out in the fourth when they took a 9-0 lead with five runs.
The third-inning runs came on singles by Nomar Garciaparra and
O'Leary, an RBI double by Merloni and a two-run single by Varitek.
In the fourth, Darren Lewis singled, stole second and scored on
Carl Everett's double. Garciaparra was walked intentionally, and
Darwin Cubillan came in to pitch. Merloni touched him for a two-run
single, Bernard Gilkey walked and Varitek hit a two-run double.
Game notes
The Rangers agreed to terms with C Bill Haselman on a two-year
contract extension. ... Martinez left without allowing a run for the eighth time in
22 starts. ... Perisho is 0-6 in 11 starts. ... Garciaparra began
the game in a 2-for-16 slump, matching his season-worst stretch at
the start of the year. He went 1-for-2 with two walks. ... Boston
2B Mike Lansing is 0-for-7 since his two-run double in the ninth
Thursday gave the Red Sox an 8-7 win over Texas. ... Green played
for the second time in the Rangers' last 16 games. He was in an
0-for-19 slump until his infield single. ... The crowd of 33,222
was the 46th sellout crowd at Fenway this season and the 36th in a
row.
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Cleveland 10
Seattle 4
NY Yankees 9
Anaheim 1
Boston 9
Texas 0
Minnesota 5
Toronto 1
Detroit 4
Oakland 3
Kansas City 7
Baltimore 0
Chi. White Sox 7
Tampa Bay 0
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Los Angeles 4
NY Mets 1
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Atlanta 3
Colorado 10
Florida 3
Houston 10
Milwaukee 8
St. Louis 6
Philadelphia 3
Arizona 11
Chicago Cubs 3
San Diego 4
Montreal 3
AUDIO/VIDEO
 After getting some run support, an ailing Pedro Martinez shifted gears.
wav: 197 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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