Remembering Mets History (2006) Pedro Martinez Earns His 200th Career Victory
In 1994 he was traded to the Montreal Expos for Delino Deshields. He spent four years in Montreal winning 55 games there (55-33) & became one of the best Pitchers in the NL. In 1997 he won his first Cy Young Award, leading the league in ERA (1.90) complete games (13) & WAR (9.0) in 1997.
That November he was traded to the Boston Red Sox for Carl Pavano. In Boston his career really took off, as he won two more Cy Young Awards (1999 & 2000) just missing a third coming in second in 1998.
From 1999 to 2003 he won four ERA titles, led the AL in strike outs & winning % three times. In Boston he was a two-time twenty game winner & won 18 or more games four times. He made four post season appearances in Boston going 6-2, winning a World Series there in 2004, the Red Sox first since 1918.
In 2006 he won his first two starts leading up to this big milestone game for him.
A big crowd of 36,867 came out to Shea Stadium in hopes Pedro would reach his milestone. Pedro went up against the Braves Jorge Sosa.
In the bottom of the 2nd, Xavier Nady hit a one out solo HR to tie the game.
In the top of the 3rd, after getting the first two outs, Marcus Giles hit a ground rule double, then came home on Ryan Langerhans base hit, to give the Braves the lead again.
of the game with a two run HR to right centerfield giving the Mets back the lead 3-2.
In the top of the 4th, Jeff Francoeur doubled & with two outs Pedro intentionally walked Wilson Betemit. He then struck out the pitcher Jorge Sosa to end the inning maintaining the lead.
In the bottom frame, the Mets added an insurance run as Cliff Floyd doubled & was brought in by Xavier Nady's base hit, as he drove in his second run of the game.
In the top of the 5th, Xavier Nady showed off his glove talents as well, making a diving catch to end the inning. In the 6th Pedro would surrender a lead off HR to Andru Jones as the Braves came to within a run 4-3. He then struck out Adam LaRoche & Jeff Francoeur & got Brian McCann to fly out.
game by manager Willie Randolph. The Shea crowd gave him a nice ovation & the outcome was in the hands of the bullpen. On the evening Pedro allowed three runs on six hits. He struck out eight & walked two.
Duaner Sanchez closed out the inning & pitched a perfect 8th inning as well. In the top of the 9th Billy Wagner came on for the save. With one out, he hit Matt Diaz with a pitch then struck out Wilson Betemit & former Met Todd Pratt to end the game.
It was official, Pedro Martinez earned the win for his 200th career victory.
The win put the Mets ta 10-2 the best record in baseball. They would go on the easily win the NL East that season, beat the Dodgers in the NLDS but get upset in the NLCS losing to the St. Louis Cardinals. One big reason was Pedr Martinez not being able to pitch in the post season.
He began the year at 5-0, then was 7-4 with a 3.45 ERA when his missed a month of action with a calf injury. He returned but missed another month from the injury from mid-August to mid-September.
He returned to make three September starts, all losses then he was shut down for the remainder of the season with a torn rotator cuff & needed surgery.
