Marte Matches Martinez

SAN BERNARDINO —  All eyes were on Dodger pitcher Ramon Martinez, making his second appearance on the road to recovering from a slightly torn rotator cuff, when he took the mound for the San Bernardino Stampede in a California League game Wednesday night against the Lancaster JetHawks.

But it was fellow Dominican Damaso Marte who left the lasting impression as far as the JetHawks were concerned.

The 22-year-old left-hander pitched seven shutout innings and the JetHawks beat the Stampede, 1-0, in front of 4,743 fans at San Bernardino Stadium.

“I wear No. 48 for Martinez because he is my favorite pitcher and I’ve seen him in the Dominican [Republic],” Marte said. “Martinez has more experience, but I feel I have major-league ability. I felt 100% tonight.”

Martinez grabbed all the attention. He looked strong in yielding only two hits, both by first baseman Cirilo Cruz, in nearly four innings of work and spoke optimistically about rejoining the Dodgers, who are in a battle for the National League West lead.

“We don’t have a target date yet,” said Martinez, who was watched closely by Dodger pitching coach Dave Wallace and physical therapist Pat Screnar and will be with the Dodgers on their trip that starts today in Chicago.

“I don’t want to go out there again until I’m 100%,” Martinez added.

The JetHawks, with an offense that has turned sluggish in San Bernardino, needed the effort from Marte (5-6), who won his previous three decisions.

Marte went seven innings, walking six and throwing 114 pitches, but he allowed only two hits.

Lancaster (58-52 overall, 25-15 in the second half), which moved into a first-place tie with Modesto in the Valley Division, broke a string of 19 scoreless innings in the eighth.

Luis Molina lined a one-out single to left and moved to third when Joe Mathis followed with a single to right-center. Joel Ramirez drove Molina in with a sacrifice fly to center.

Martinez pitched 3 2/3 innings and threw 63 pitches before he was replaced by Casey Deskins. Martinez threw 42 strikes and retired 11 of the first 12 batters before walking James Clifford and allowing Cruz’s second single with two out in the fourth.

He finished with four strikeouts and was clocked in the low 90 mph range on most of his pitches. He threw mostly fastballs and said he felt good after some early jitters.

“The first inning was kind of shaky because you always think you’re going to feel some pain,” Martinez said. “But I feel great. The last inning I was kind of getting tired.”

In that inning, Martinez, 6-3 with a 3.42 earned-run average this season, retired Joel Ramirez on a groundout and Jason Regan on a pop to first before Clifford worked an 0-and-2 count into a walk by fouling off five pitches.

Clifford’s first two fouls were the hardest hit balls off Martinez.

Cruz followed by lining Martinez’s 2-and-1 pitch to right-center, and the Dodger right-hander’s work was finished.

Cruz earned the right to do some postgame, clubhouse bragging, but before the game he wasn’t very excited.

“I would like to get a hit,” Cruz said. “But I’m not going to try harder than normal. It’s nothing different.”

Martinez credited Cruz and became more interested when he learned of his relationship to former major leaguers Tommy Cruz [his father] and Jose Cruz Sr. [his uncle].

“The first base hit he got off a breaking pitch,” Martinez said. “The second time off a fastball. I was behind in the count. He was very good.”

Martinez also praised Marte, a fellow native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and former Crespi High standout Casey Snow, his catcher in both rehabilitation assignments.

“I told him the way I wanted to work, and he was very good,” Martinez said of Snow. “He called his own pitches, but he called a lot of pitches I was thinking.”

Snow enjoyed the assignment. It’s not everyday that a 22-year-old Class-A catcher, who grew up a Dodger fan, gets to call a game for a Los Angeles pitcher with a no-hitter on his resume.

“It’s fun,” Snow said. “You can tell the difference. He throws harder and hits his spots.”