Martinez made his Fenway debut in the top of the first inning and Joey Cora popped up to first to start. Alex Rodriguez popped up to center and Ken Griffey Jr lined out to Nomar Garciaparra in a shift to end the inning. Old pal Jamie Moyer got the start for the Mariners and Nomar led off the bottom of the first by grounding out to short to start. John Valentin lined a base hit up the middle before Mo Vaughn whiffed. Jim Leyritz stuck his bat out and doubled to the wall, Valentin scoring the game's first run. Troy O'Leary was robbed of a base hit by David Segui to end the inning but it was 1-0 Sox.
Edgar Martinez was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to start the top of the second before Segui grounded out to short. Glenallen Hill whiffed to end the inning. Damon Buford grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the second before Scott Hatteberg grounded out to short. Darren Lewis reached on a ground ball booted by Cora before swiping second. Mike Benjamin grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
Martinez blew away Rick Wilkins to start the top of the third before Russ Davis also whiffed. Charles Gipson was blown away on a fastball to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the third although Nomar popped up to center to begin. Valentin poked a single up the middle and swiped second before Vaughn cracked a double to the centerfield fence to score Valentin. Leyritz pounded the first pitch thrown to him into the screen for a 2 run homer to ice it. O'Leary doubled into the right field corner but Buford popped up to left. Hatteberg grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.
Cora got the Mariners first hit with a base hit to left to start the top of the fourth but A-Rod whiffed. Griffey Jr flied out to the centerfield wall before Martinez walked. Segui whiffed to end the inning. The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the fourth as Lewis singled under the glove of Cora to start. Benjamin dropped down a perfect bunt to advance Lewis to second before Nomar tripled into the right field corner to increase the lead. Valentin popped up to short and Vaughn whiffed to end the inning but it was 5-0 Sox.
Hill walked to start the top of the fifth inning but Martinez banged into a double play. Davis whiffed again to end the inning. Moyer froze Leyritz to begin the bottom of the fifth but O'Leary got a base hit to center. Buford watched strike three go by and Hatteberg grounded out to first to end the inning.
Gipson tried to catch the Sox asleep with a bunt but it went right to Vaughn for the out to start the top of the sixth. Cora popped up to third but Rodriguez singled to center. Griffey Jr whiffed to end the inning. The Sox threatened in the bottom of the sixth although Lewis grounded out to sort to start. Benjamin and Nomar hit back to back singles but Valentin popped up to short. Vaughn flied out to right to end the inning.
Pedro Martinez got Edgar Martinez to ground out to second to start the top of the seventh on a nice play by Benjamin. Segui popped up to left and Hill became Martinez' 9th strikeout victim to end the inning. Bob Wells came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and walked Leyritz to start. O'Leary and Buford both flied out to left but Hatteberg singled to third. Lewis looked at strike three to end the inning.
Martinez returned for the top of the eighth inning and got his 1,000th career strikeout when Wilkins went down swinging to start. Davis was frozen for strike three before Jeff Huson pinch hit for Gipson only to pop up to first to end the inning.
Benjamin beat out an infield single to third to begin the bottom of the eighth but Nomar flied out to right. Valentin popped up to third and that was it for Wells. Old buddy Tony Fossas came in and got Vaughn to fly out to center to end the inning.
Martinez returned to finish his work in the top of the ninth and Cora lined out to right to start. Rodriguez whiffed to be Martinez' 12th strikeout victim before Griffey Jr popped up to first to end the game. Martinez tossed a complete game 2 hit shutout as the Sox made it two in a row at Fenway with a 5-0 win.
The Co-Heroes of the night are Jim Leyritz and Pedro Martinez. Leyritz was 2 for 3 with 3 total rbis, a run scored and a two run home run.
Pedro Martinez pitched a complete game 2 hit shutout while walking 2 and striking out 12
The Good:
Nomar Garciaparra was 2 for 5 with an rbi.
John Valentin was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and a stolen base.
Troy O'Leary was 2 for 4.
Mike Benjamin was 2 for 3.
The Bad:
Damon Buford was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
The Ugly:
Mo Vaughn was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored.
Scott Hatteberg was just 1 for 4.
Darren Lewis was just 1 for 4 but stole a base and scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
Talk about an eventful past two days. First the dramatic comeback yesterday and then Pedro throws a gem not seen since Roger Clemens striking out 20 two years ago. If Martinez is truly the real deal then the Sox have something to build on for the future. The lineup can counter the Cleveland Indians but they'll need Pedro, Brett Saberhagen and the other starters to be lights out if they have any hope of the playoffs this year. The Sox may want to resign Mo Vaughn sooner rather than later because Martinez could be the tonic they need to contend for years to come. Shutting down this Mariners team is certainly not easy. Tomorrow the Sox look to sweep the Mariners when they send Tim Wakefield to the mound up against lefty Jeff Fassero of Seattle. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.
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