Martinez Provides Power to Light Up Padres’ Night

SAN DIEGO â€”  Carmelo Martinez again? You’d better believe it.

Martinez had been stopped in the first game of the Philadelphia series after driving in the Padres’ winning run three times in a row, but he was hotter than ever Tuesday night.

No, the Padre left fielder didn’t have the game-winner this time. Nobody got credit for that, because it scored on an error. All he did was hit two home runs and a double in five times at-bats, knock in four runs and score three.

With that kind of power behind him, Ed Whitson breezed to a 9-1 victory over the last-place Phillies in front of 10,535 at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium. Whitson pitched a seven-hitter in going the distance for the first time in 26 starts this season.

Whitson last pitched a complete game more than a year ago--against the Pittsburgh Pirates July 26, 1987. The victory was his 11th against eight defeats, and he lost a shutout only because he threw a home-run ball to Chris James in the first inning.

Martinez’s homers were his ninth and 10th of the season, and pulled him into a tie with Marvell Wynne for the team lead. John Kruk chipped in with his ninth as the Padres battered Kevin Gross and rookie Danny Clay for 12 hits.

The Padres’ run total in their sixth victory in seven games matched their season high, achieved May 22 against the Phillies and June 27 against the Cincinnati Reds.

Chances are that the Padres would have won even without Martinez’s sizzling bat, but his exploits certainly made Whitson’s job a lot easier. He doubled in the second and scored the Padres’ first run, and topped off four- and three-run uprisings in the third and sixth with his two home runs.

Gross served up Martinez’s first homer, Clay the second. After hitting his second, which ended the scoring, Martinez received a standing ovation as he toured the bases.

This was the fourth time in his career that Martinez had hit two in a game, and the first since June 18, 1987. His four runs batted in constituted a three-year high, dating back to April 15, 1985, when he had five.

And just how hot has Martinez been lately? In the past six games, he has 9 hits in 22 at-bats, a .409 pace, with 3 home runs and 11 runs batted in.

And consider these statistics: In his first 162 times at-bats, Martinez hit just 3 home runs, or one in every 54 at-bats. In his past 69 times up, he has hit 7, or one in every 9.9 at-bats.

It all began when Martinez was installed in the outfield full time--one game in right field and the rest in left--after spending most of the season in part-time roles in left and at first base.

Still, Martinez isn’t convinced that he has it made.

“I don’t believe it’s an everyday job,� he said. “I’m hot now, but it’s up to me to make it an everyday job. I never complained when I wasn’t playing, because you’ve got to make your point by doing it yourself. You have to work hard and keep quiet, or it’s not going to happen.�

Martinez said his confidence hadn’t waned when he was playing sparingly and hitting poorly.

“My confidence has always been there,� he said. “Some days go my way, some days go the other way again, so I prepare myself both ways.

“Every time I come to the plate, I feel good. I’m seeing the ball better. I’m not trying for home runs. They’re just coming. Tony (Gwynn), Roberto (Alomar) and Kruk have been getting on base a lot, and that gives me a chance for a lot of RBIs.�

Asked if he had ever been in a better groove, Martinez said, “I don’t think so.�

Manager Jack McKeon said of Martinez, “In all honesty, he’s been super all year. In his heart, I know he’s wanted to play, but he’s not a complainer. I admire him for that. I’m very proud of him to come in and deliver the way he has.�

Asked why he had decided to play Martinez full time, McKeon said, “It’s hard to say. I did see something. I probably saw it the day he pinch-hit for Kruk and had two RBIs to make us go from a 4-2 to a 6-2 lead.�

Martinez has been the subject of trade rumors, but McKeon said, “I like the guy and I’d like to keep him here. Carmelo will be here on the closing day of the season.�

Whitson heaped more praise on Martinez: “Like I’ve been saying all year long, he should have been in the lineup all year. In ‘84, he hit 21 homers (actually, he hit 13 that year and 21 the following year), and he hasn’t played everyday ever since.�

Of his pitching, Whitson said, “I’ve got a lot of confidence. If we get behind, I know that sooner or later things are going to change.�

And McKeon said, “A lot of guys mature and come into their own around 30 or 32 (Whitson is 33). He may be one of them.�

James gave the Phillies a 1-0 lead in the first inning when he hit Whitson’s 2-1 pitch over the left-field wall. It was his 16th home run of the season and the 13th allowed by Whitson, only half as many as Whitson had given up at this stage a year ago en route to a league-high 36.

The Padres got that run back in the second when Martinez led off with a double and scored on Keith Moreland’s single.

An inning later, the 1-1 tie was transformed into a 5-1 San Diego lead. With one out, Kruk and Alomar singled, and when James’ throw from right field sailed into the dugout, Kruk scored and Alomar went to third. Gwynn’s double sent Alomar home, and Martinez completed the carnage with his first home run of the night, a towering shot to left.

Padre Notes

It’s time for the annual late-season guessing game: Who will be called up by the Padres from their triple-A Las Vegas farm club when the roster limit goes up to 40 Sept. 1? With catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. apparently out of the picture because of a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery, the leading candidates are shortstop Mike Brumley, first baseman Rob Nelson, pitcher Greg Harris and outfielder Shawn Abner. Nelson, who has hit 23 home runs, is the Padres’ big hope to supply some of the power they need so badly. Harris is not to be confused with the Philadelphia pitcher of the same name, who is a former Padre. . . . If Dennis Rasmussen looks good in a pregame workout tonight, he probably will be start in one of the Padre games in Montreal over the weekend. Rasmussen hasn’t pitched since last Wednesday because of a pulled right hamstring, and Manager Jack McKeon said, “I don’t believe in putting him out there before we’re sure he’s 100%. With the off day we’ve got Thursday, we can take our time with him. We can go all the way to the New York series (next Monday through Wednesday) if necessary. . . . The Padres are playing defense at a pace that would set a club record for fielding average. Their current average is .981, one point ahead of the record set in 1980 and tied in 1985. . . . The Padre victory Tuesday night gave them season record of 28-34 against NL East teams, including 18-17 at home. Their record against the East last year was 22-50.

Third baseman Mike Schmidt of the Phillies, who ranks seventh on the all-time home run list with 542, including 12 this season, is on the disabled list with an elbow injury. Schmidt, who will be 39 Sept. 27, will be eligible to return Saturday. There is a question whether he will be back next year. The contract he signed after last season was for two years, but next year is an option year, with a $350,000 buyout clause. He is making $2.25 million this year, with $100,000 of it going to charity. The man immediately ahead of him in the home run derby is Reggie Jackson, who hit 563.