Pedro Martinez, on the mound for the first time in almost a year, got his 3,000th career strikeout, whiffing Reds starter Aaron Harang in the second inning of the Mets’ 10-4 win. “Indescribable,” he said. “I did what I was supposed to do. I gave my team an opportunity.”
Greg Maddux earned his first victory in 11 career starts at Chase Field (he entered 0-6 with a 5.67 ERA) in the Padres’ 10-2 win over the D’backs. He also extended his streak without a walk to 49 1/3 innings — he holds the record with 72 1/3 in 2001 with the Braves.
Carlos Pena, who was released by the Tigers and Yankees last season, broke the Devil Rays’ team record for home runs with his 35th, breaking a 4-4 tie in the seventh with a two-run blast off Orioles reliever Joey Hoey in a 9-7 win. He has 98 RBIs.
THREE DOWN
Twins ace Johan Santana just can’t beat the Indians. He fell to 0-5 vs. them this season, yielding six hits and four runs in six innings. The Indians had at least two runners on in each of the first three innings, scoring once in each of those frames.
Ryan Howard and Aaron Rowand went 0-for-7 with five strikeouts in the Phillies’ 5-1 loss to the Braves. The Phillies, only two games out of first four days ago, suddenly are five back in the NL East. Howard has struck out 16 times in his last 27 at-bats.
OK, he got the victory, but Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka was handed a 10-1 lead after five innings and couldn’t get out of the sixth. He was charged with seven runs, the big blow Troy Glaus’ three-run homer, in a 13-10 win over the Blue Jays.
