Martinez throws 4-hitter as Cards dominate
ST. LOUIS » Carlos Martinez has been waiting for this moment.
The St. Louis Cardinals’ ace righthander struck out 11 and beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-0 on Saturday, the first shutout and first complete game of his career.
“All I can really say is I’m living out my dream,” Martinez said through an interpreter. “This was one of my goals, one of my dreams. The next one is to pitch a perfect game. And I just feel so happy with my performance. I was completely focused today. All of my pitches were perfect, in my opinion. The location, they were perfect. I’m just really happy.”
Jedd Gyorko drove in three runs for the Cardinals, who have won two straight against the Phillies after their seven-game skid on their recent trip.
Martinez (5-5) allowed four hits and walked one. Martinez’s 101st pitch of the game was a 100 mph fastball that struck out Howie Kendrick for the second out in the ninth.
The young righty has turned in some impressive performances in his four-year career — including tossing nine shutout innings in a 13-inning game last month — but Saturday’s start may go down as the best of them.
“I think he would tell you it was his best,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “I don’t think we could disagree. What more would you want? He had the strikeouts when he wanted them. He pitched to contact at other times.”
“He threw all his pitches for strikes and changed speeds and had that velocity late in the game,” Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.
Martinez survived a scare in the seventh inning when he was hit by a pitch on his pitching hand from Phillies reliever Jeanmar Gomez. He was down on the ground briefly but got up and stayed in the game. He later scored from third base on a sacrifice fly by Gyorko.
Nick Pivetta (1-3), making his sixth career start, allowed four runs and four hits in five innings, with four walks and two strikeouts.
GETTING PICKY
Pivetta, the Phillies’ starter, picked off Fowler and Tommy Pham to end the first and second innings.
BALK THIS WAY
Pivetta’s fourth-inning balk was the Phillies’ seventh of the season. The seven balks have come from seven pitchers.
TRAINER’S ROOM
PHILLIES » 2B Cesar Hernandez was not in the lineup after experiencing tightness in his side Friday.
UP NEXT
PHILLIES » RHP Aaron Nola (3-3, 4.28) tossed seven shutout innings, allowing just two hits, in his only previous start against the Cardinals. CARDINALS » RHP Adam Wainwright (6-4, 4.82) is 6-2 with a 2.85 ERA in 15 appearances (13 starts) against the Phillies. He is 3-0 with a 0.47 ERA in three day game starts this season.