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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
SEATTLE (AP) -- Pedro Martinez started this season the same way
he ended last year -- with pure dominance.
Martinez struck out 11 and held Seattle to only two hits in
seven innings Tuesday night, pitching the Boston Red Sox past the
Mariners 2-0 in the first opener at Safeco Field.
|  | | Troy O'Leary drives in the only run the Red Sox would need with a sixth-inning single.
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Playing their first season without Ken Griffey Jr. since 1989,
the Mariners could not touch Martinez. The right-hander was the
unanimous AL Cy Young winner last season after going 23-4 with a
2.07 ERA and 313 strikeouts.
Martinez said he would not try to duplicate his 1999 numbers.
"I wouldn't look for it," he said. "Those are special
seasons. They don't come every day. You have to take those, just
like the bad ones, and forget about it."
"You can't think about trying to do the same things. It's too
hard. You'd go crazy before you pitch the first game. I mean, those
things just happen," he said.
Martinez finished last year with 17 shutout innings in the
postseason. He did not come close to allowing a run against Seattle
-- he has given up only one earned run in his past 42 innings.
"I didn't even realize at the end of last season through the
playoffs what I had done and what I had achieved. But if it happens
this year, great. I'll thank God. If it doesn't, it doesn't," he
said.
A stadium record crowd of 45,552 saw Martinez (1-0) give up a
bloop single by Carlos Guillen in the third inning and a ground
single by John Olerud in the fourth.
Martinez walked the Mariners' main offensive threat, Alex
Rodriguez, with two outs in the first and sixth.
The Mariners, who traded Griffey to Cincinnati in February, did
not have any other runners against Martinez. Mike Cameron, one of
the players acquired for Griffey, was 0-for-4 and struck out three
times.
"The guy is unbelievable. He is an all-world pitcher," Cameron
said.
Said Red Sox manager Jimy Williams: "From Pedro's standpoint,
he's been very consistent. He loves to compete. The big thing for
me, if you've watched him pitch, he stayed with his delivery and
didn't try to overthrow the ball."
Derek Lowe relieved to start the eighth and completed the
combined two-hitter. Before the game, he agreed to a four-year
contract worth about $10 million.
"From a younger player's standpoint, it's fantastic," Lowe
said. "I love the city of Boston and it locks me up for at least
four years guaranteed."
Jamie Moyer (0-1) was even with Martinez until the sixth when
the Red Sox scored their first run on Troy O'Leary's infield
single.
John Valentin and newcomer Carl Everett singled and Mike Stanley
walked to load the bases. O'Leary hit a slow roller and barely beat
second baseman David Bell's throw.
In the seventh, the Red Sox drove Moyer from the game when Jason
Varitek walked, Darren Lewis sacrificed and Jose Offerman hit an
RBI double.
Game notes
Martinez had 10 or more strikeouts 19 times last season.
... Moyer, 37, got his first opening night assignment. ... Mariners
right fielder Jay Buhner was held out of making his 10th straight
opening night assignment because he has eight strikeouts in his
0-for-8 lifetime appearances against Martinez. ... The temperature
at the start of the 5:05 p.m. PDT opener was 50 degrees with a
north wind of 13 mph. The retractable roof was open for opening
ceremonies and then closed for the game. ... Martinez was taken out
after making 108 pitches, 60 for strikes.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Boston Clubhouse
Seattle Clubhouse
RECAPS
Toronto 6
Kansas City 3
Minnesota 6
Tampa Bay 5
Boston 2
Seattle 0
Texas 12
Chi. White Sox 8
NY Yankees 5
Anaheim 3
Oakland 3
Detroit 1
Milwaukee 5
Cincinnati 1
San Francisco 3
Florida 0
Los Angeles 10
Montreal 4
Houston 5
Pittsburgh 2
Colorado 5
Atlanta 3
Arizona 6
Philadelphia 4
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Pedro Martinez just wants to help the team win.
wav: 103 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Red Sox skipper Jimy Williams was pleased with Pedro's performance.
wav: 156 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
ESPN's Harold Reynolds discusses the Mariners' future without Junior.
wav: 221 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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