Giants Get a Double Dose of Martinez, 6-2

About the time when the giant inflatable hot dog suddenly appeared in the stands, and the beach ball came tumbling over the reserve section, it was time to take a step back and look at the game at hand.

Was it really that boring?

The significance of a matchup with the San Francisco Giants lost its luster momentarily for some in the crowd of 46,020 at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night, but never for long.

Ramon Martinez, who must have enrolled in a batting camp over the winter, hit and pitched the Dodgers to a 6-2 complete-game victory to take the three-game series from the Giants, two games to one.

That is always significant.

Regardless of the standings, winning a series from the Giants is meaningful for the Dodgers, but especially this season. With a strike looming, teams are cognizant that whoever is in first place when, and if, the players strike, might just end up in the playoffs. The Dodger objective? Not to let the Giants back in the race.

“All we’re doing right now is maintenance,” Brett Butler said. “This is not who’s in second or who’s in third, it’s maintaining our place in first.”

With the victory, the Dodgers increased their lead in the National League West to 4 1/2 games over the Colorado Rockies and 7 1/2 games over the Giants. It is the farthest back the Giants have been all season, and dropped them to 12 games under .500, equaling their lowest point this season.

Meanwhile, Martinez (7-4), who was not only helped by the Dodger offense but can now be considered a part of it, held the Giants to five hits, walking only one batter.

His biggest mistake was giving up a home run to Matt Williams in the fourth inning, and it was one that made history. Williams hit Martinez’s 2-1 pitch into the left field pavilion for his 29th home run to set a new National League record for most home runs hit before July. Willie Stargell had 28 through June 30, 1971.

Williams said at this point the record didn’t mean a lot. “Our objective at this point is to win, but I’m sure that I’ll think about (the record) down the road,” he said.

Even after Williams’ homer, the Dodgers still had a 5-1 lead. They scored all five runs against Giant starter William VanLandingham (3-1), who didn’t make it past the third inning.

Martinez, who has never been confused with Orel Hershiser with a bat, hit two doubles and scored a run, giving him three multi-hit games this season. He has hit .333 in his last eight starts and is batting .273, tops among the pitchers.

“I’ve been working on my hitting during batting practice, and I even went to Lasorda University once,” Martinez said. “I just go out and swing and I feel so comfortable at the plate.

“I also feel so good pitching, I know I’m healthy and I’ll keep pitching well.”

The respect shown to Mike Piazza reached a pinnacle in the third inning, when, with one out and Delino DeShields on second after a run-scoring double, Dusty Baker ordered Piazza intentionally walked with Tim Wallach on deck. Piazza, a torment to the Giants, had homered in four consecutive games before Wednesday and had singled and scored in the first inning on a homer by Wallach, his 18th.

Martinez led off the third inning with a double and went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Butler. DeShields, who entered the game batting .414 since his return nine games ago, hit an opposite-field double that bounced just past the third base bag and rolled to the left field wall.