FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) – Pedro Martinez’s return to the mound was much better than his last appearance there.
The Red Sox ace threw 49 pitches Sunday – fastballs, curves and changeups – all with pinpoint control as he pitched for the first time in four and a half months. His motion was fluid and his arm felt fine in the spring training workout.
“For so long without actually touching a mound I thought it was great,” Martinez said. “It was nice and loose, smooth.”
His last pitch before Sunday ended in disaster. Jorge Posada’s two-run bloop double in the eighth inning of Game 7 of the American League Championship Series last Oct. 16 against the Yankees tied the game 5-5.
New York won 6-5 in the 11th, and Boston manager Grady Little’s decision to leave Martinez in during the eighth was widely second-guessed before Little’s contract was not renewed.
Martinez, the AL ERA champion in four of the last six years, was much happier Sunday, although he wasn’t facing hitters.
“I got a little bit excited today and I actually went and threw all three pitches and all three seem to be pretty comfortable,” he said. “It’s the first time ever that I threw breaking balls on the first time out on the mound. I normally just throw fastballs.”
He plans to pitch once more off a mound then and twice against teammates in batting practice before throwing in a game. Manager Terry Francona said that first appearance should be about March 10 when the Red Sox visit the St. Louis Cardinals. Boston opens its exhibition season Thursday against the Minnesota Twins.
“I’m excited to watch him pitch,” said Francona, Oakland’s bench coach last season. “I like him more now that we’re in the same uniform.”
Dave Wallace, in his first spring as Boston’s pitching coach, marveled at Martinez’s mechanics.
“He pretty much has the delivery he has all the time,” Wallace said. “After so many years of doing it, there’s a certain precision and a timing to it and he’s an incredible athlete so the coordination is just innate. The ball came out of his hand easy but firm.”
Martinez had participated in two long toss sessions and fielding practice since reporting last Tuesday. He showed up three days after the team’s other pitchers because of a family medical issue.
He was 14-4 last season with a 2.22 ERA. He led the league in lowest opponents’ batting average, .215, and had 206 strikeouts, one less than league leader Esteban Loaiza, even though he missed five games because of illness or injury.
“I knew I was in command of my physical shape and the way I finished the season actually told me that I was totally healed and ready to go,” Martinez said.
He was 4-0 in his last five regular-season games, allowing three earned runs in 33 innings.
Although he has plenty of time to prepare for the opening game on April 4 at Baltimore, Martinez is off to a good start.
“I was actually shocked, especially throwing curveballs for strikes and not even make an effort to do it,” he said. “I just hope tomorrow I’m not too sore.”
