Pedro Martinez: The Jury Is Still Out

by The Last Hollywood Star

I give myself a "no-decision" on my prediction yesterday that I didn’t expect Pedro Martinez to do well in his home debut for the Philadelphia Phillies against the Arizona Diamondbacks. But I’ll stick with my forecast that in the long run, Martinez will not be a factor in the Phillies pennant chase.

After giving up a home run to lead off batter Stephen Drew, Martinez pitched three solid innings before a rain delay took him out of the game.

In sweet irony, Jamie Moyer finished the Diamondbacks off with a strong six innings. Martinez took Moyers place in the rotation.

Over at PNC Park, Ross Ohlendorf is a breath of fresh air for the Pirates. After beating the Brewers 5-1, Ohlendorf improved to 11-8.

The win was a step in the right direction for the Pirates in their unannounced goal to avoid losing 100 games. The Pirates are 48-70 with 42 games remaining.

Twenty-four will be at home, some against equally weak teams like the San Diego Padres and the Cincinnati Reds. But other opponents will be in the final days of the pennant race and will be playing hard: the Phillies, the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Last night’s Pirate win coupled with a loss by the Washington Nationals (Nyjer Morgan, 2 for 5; .310) helps the Pirates avoid ending the season with baseball’s worst record.