Martinez Finally Gets His 20th Win

Pedro Martinez said he knew this day would come. It was only a matter of when.

“After I spent a couple years in Montreal I figured I’d get 20 wins eventually,” he said Saturday. “I just needed a little more support, experience and a few breaks.”

That day finally came after Martinez led the Boston Red Sox over the Seattle Mariners, 4-0, at Seattle and claimed his first 20-win season.

Martinez (20-4) became the first 20-game winner in the major leagues and at the same time kept the Red Sox one game ahead of Oakland in the AL wild-card race. He is Boston’s first 20-game winner since Roger Clemens went 21-6 in 1990.

“It’s a level that every pitcher dream’s about,” Martinez said. “It’s something I’ll always remember. It’s a little bit sweeter knowing that we lost and Oakland won yesterday. I’m more concerned about our record than the 20 wins.”

Martinez gave up two hits in eight innings and struck out 15, reaching double digits in strikeouts for the 15th time this season and the 50th time in his career. He is the first right-hander with five games with 15 or more strikeouts in one season since Nolan Ryan did it six times in 1974.

Tampa Bay 11, Minnesota 3--Herbert Perry went four for five, including a homer and a tiebreaking two-run single in a six-run seventh inning as the Devil Rays got a season-high 18 hits routing the Twins at St. Petersburg.

Also, Devil Ray designated hitter Jose Canseco could be sidelined up to five days by a sore ligament near the little finger on his right hand.

Oakland 2, Detroit 1--Rookie Tim Hudson pitched a four-hitter for his first complete game as the Athletics defeated the Tigers at Oakland.

Hudson (9-1) didn’t give up a hit after the fifth inning in a gritty 136-pitch effort for his seventh consecutive win. He struck out eight, boosting his season total to a team-leading 108, and walked four.

Toronto 6, Kansas City 3--Carlos Delgado hit his 40th homer and went three for three as the Blue Jays defeated the Royals in a game shortened to eight innings by rain at Kansas City.

Homer Bush went three for four, including a solo homer and a run-scoring single as Toronto stayed three games behind Boston in the wild-card race.

Chicago 12, Texas 3--Liu Rodriguez hit a tiebreaking two-run single in a seven-run seventh inning, and the White Sox ended a five-game losing streak by routing the Rangers at Arlington, Texas.

Brook Fordyce was four for five, matching his career high for hits. Greg Norton was three for four, singling twice in the seventh, and Rodriguez drove in three runs. Rafael Palmeiro hit his league-leading 42nd homer for Texas.

Baltimore 3, Cleveland 1--Doug Linton won for the first time in nearly three years, and Jeff Conine hit a go-ahead double in the sixth inning that led the Orioles over the Indians at Baltimore.

Linton (1-2), who hadn’t won since defeating Seattle for Kansas City on Sept. 11, 1996, defeated Bartolo Colon (15-5), giving up one run and four hits in seven innings.