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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Pedro Martinez says he's nearly back to
his old self.
|  | | Looking dominant again, Pedro Martinez said Friday was the best he's felt since returning from injury. |
"My control was good tonight," he said Friday night after
striking out 11 and leading the Boston Red Sox over the Oakland
Athletics 4-1.
Martinez (12-3) has won three straight starts since June 29,
when he was activated after a stint on the disabled list with a
strained oblique muscle.
He gave up four hits in seven innings, including a leadoff home
run to Terrence Long. His strikeouts reached double digits for the
11th time in 18 starts this season, and he walked one.
"The way Pedro pitches in the era of hitting and home runs,
it's an impressive feat," Red Sox manager Jimy Williams said.
Coming off a six-hit shutout against the Chicago White Sox,
Martinez has allowed just one run in his last 17 innings. He has a
1.38 ERA.
"I don't look at my numbers and I can't compare myself to what
it was before I went on the DL, it's too soon," Martinez said.
"Today was the best I've felt since I came off. That's a good
sign."
Williams said the Red Sox are keeping an eye on Martinez, but
his delivery looked good Friday night.
"It's a big plus to us when he's healthy," Williams said.
Derek Lowe pitched the ninth for his 23rd save in 28 chances.
Ed Sprague put Boston ahead with a two-run homer in the third
off rookie Mark Mulder (6-7).
Nomar Garciaparra, who went 3-for-4 and increased his major
league-leading average to .398, hit a two-run homer in the fourth,
his 15th of the season.
Williams said he was lucky to have both Martinez and Garciaparra
on his staff.
"Each game that they play I just sit back and marvel," he
said.
Mulder, coming off a six-hit shutout of Anaheim, lost for the
fifth time in six starts, allowing six hits in eight innings.
Still, it was Mulder's longest outing of the year.
"The one to Sprague was just a mistake," he said. "It was out
over the plate, a 2-0 fastball."
Long hit one other leadoff home run this year, on May 6 against
Kansas City. His home run Friday, the 11th of the season, extended
his hitting streak to 12 games.
Before the game, the A's acquired reliever Jim Mecir and minor
leaguer Todd Belitz from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for minor league
prospect Jesus Colome and a player to be named.
Mecir was expected to arrive in Oakland on Saturday. He will
join Jeff Tam as the main setup men for All-Star closer Jason
Isringhausen.
Game notes
Mike Lansing, acquired by Boston from Colorado in a
seven-player deal on Thursday, was in the Red Sox clubhouse before
but didn't play. ... A's pitcher Omar Olivares, on the disabled
list with a muscle strain under his right armpit, started at Class
A Modesto on Friday night and went two innings, striking out one.
He retired all six batters he faced with 19 pitches. ... The A's
went over the 1 million mark in attendance Thursday night, the
earliest they've hit the milestone since 1994 when they did it in
48 games. ... Rolando Arrojo, acquired by the Red Sox in the trade
with Colorado, was set to start for Boston on Sunday against Gil
Heredia. ... Martinez also allowed a leadoff homer to Toronto's
Shannon Stewart on June 25. He has allowed six leadoff homers over
his career.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Boston Clubhouse
Oakland Clubhouse
RECAPS
Cleveland 0
Baltimore 0
Tampa Bay 10
Kansas City 3
NY Yankees 9
Minnesota 5
Texas 11
Detroit 5
Anaheim 10
Chi. White Sox 7
Boston 4
Oakland 1
Seattle 7
Toronto 4
San Francisco 2
Chicago Cubs 0
Arizona 4
Florida 1
Cincinnati 8
Montreal 3
Pittsburgh 16
San Diego 5
NY Mets 3
St. Louis 2
Los Angeles 2
Philadelphia 0
Atlanta 5
Houston 2
Milwaukee 5
Colorado 0
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