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Pedro: ’05 is over; by David Lennon, Newsday
Topic Started: Sep 24 2005, 02:54 AM (26 Views)
Gategem
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September 24, 2005

WASHINGTON -- Finished with meaningful games, and protective of their $53-million investment, the Mets have decided to excuse Pedro Martinez from his remaining two starts this season.

Manager Willie Randolph hedged some by saying he would wait until the Mets were "mathematically eliminated" from contention, but general manager Omar Minaya believes there is no longer a reason to put Martinez at risk.

"We have to ask ourselves, are two starts in September worth it?" Minaya said Friday before the Mets beat the Nationals, 5-2, in 10 innings. "We have to look at the big picture. Of course, we'd all like to see him pitch. But we have to be wise about it."

Carlos Beltran's three-run homer off Nationals reliever Gary Majewski snapped a tie at 2 in the 10th inning, and with the Astros' loss, the Mets' magic number for elimination remains at two. Roberto Hernandez, replacing the ineffective Braden Looper, served up a tying two-run homer in the ninth to former Met Carlos Baerga, but Aaron Heilman got it right the second time with a scoreless 10th inning for his second save.

As for Martinez, who turns 34 next month, he couldn't close out the first season of his four-year contract. Martinez piled up 217 innings despite a chronically sore right big toe and upper back stiffness that requires constant treatment.

Martinez also continues to pitch with a partially torn labrum, and that has the potential to flare up into a major problem. The Mets were fortunate this season with Martinez, who went 15-8 with a 2.82 ERA in 31 starts, and there seems to be nothing gained by pushing that luck.

"Whatever they want to do," Martinez said after Friday's game. "At this point, everything is said and done, right?"

It's no secret Martinez's velocity has dipped, and the pitcher has complained of exhaustion and losing weight. That didn't stop Martinez from hurling his only complete game earlier this month, but he needed a season-high 122 pitches to outduel the Braves' John Smoltz.

When Martinez took the mound Thursday for his last start, the Mets had him on a 75-pitch leash, and he suggested afterward that it was probably best for him to shut it down for the rest of the season.

"He's not consistently throwing the ball like he has the last couple of years," Randolph said. "But if we were in the mix, he would try to give us what he had."

That's the bigger issue here. What if the Mets were fighting for a wild-card berth, and then did play into October? The Mets insist Martinez would be capable of taking the ball for those important games and this is purely precautionary, but it does suggest Martinez may need to be watched more closely earlier in the season.

"You want to win ball-games," Randolph said. "But you want to be smart also."

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TheOne
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Silliness, i'd like to see Pedro pitch at least one more time, at least at shea!!!
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