Phillies tap Pedro Martinez for Game 2 against Dodgers

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

The Dodgers will face veteran right-hander Pedro Martinez of the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium on Friday.

Phillies ace Cole Hamels was starting tonight for Philadelphia in the series opener and, after Martinez, the Phillies will follow with left-hander Cliff Lee in Game 3 in Philadelphia on Sunday, Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel before Game 1.

It will be a homecoming of sorts for Martinez, who turns 38 later this month, because he started his career with the Dodgers organization before being traded to the Montreal Expos in 1993 for infielder Delino DeShields. Martinez later pitched for the Boston Red Sox, where he was teammates with the Dodgers’ Manny Ramirez, and the New York Mets.

Martinez was without a team for the first three months of this season until Philadelphia signed him July 15, and he’s been an effective addition. Martinez was 5-1 with a 3.63 earned-run average, and the Phillies went 8-1 in his nine starts.

When he beat the San Francisco Giants on Sept. 3, Martinez also became the ninth pitcher in history to win 100 games in each league.

Martinez wasn’t used in the Phillies’ division series against the Colorado Rockies and hasn’t pitched since Sept. 30, but both he and Manuel said they were not concerned about the extended layoff.

‘It’s going to be special’ pitching again in Dodger Stadium, Martinez said. ‘I hope this is not the last one that I pitch here but, if it is, it would be a great joy to actually do it in the same place I started.’

--Jim Peltz