Charles Rich
Gerald Martinez took a walk on the wild side.
The Glendale High baseball pitcher looked sharp warming up in the
bullpen. Then many of his 70-plus pitches sailed off target when it
mattered most.
The wildness and some shabby defense proved to be Glendale's
Achilles' heel Friday in a 5-1 Pacific League loss to visiting
Pasadena.
*--*
BOX SCORE
*--*
*--*
Pasadena 1 0 3 1 0 0 0 -- 5 7 0
Glendale 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 -- 1 5 3
*--*
*--*
Pasadena IP H R ER BB K
Files 7 5 1 1 1 4
*--*
*--*
Glendale IP H R ER BB K
Martinez Lam 3.1 3.2 4 3 5 0 3 0 6 1 6 3
Totals 7 7 5 3 7 9
*--*
*--*
WP-- Files (2-0)
LP-- Martinez (1-2)
2B: P: Files
3B: P: Lomeli
SB: P: Parker; G: Verduzco 2
*--*
The Nitros (3-3, 0-1 in league) had their three-game winning
streak halted. They lost their focus Friday as they attempt to reach
the postseason for the first time since 1997.
Martinez (1-2) consistently fell behind Pasadena's astute hitters,
who packaged timely hits to score three third-inning runs.
"It doesn't matter the caliber of the hitters," Glendale Coach Jay
Chadwick said. "If you get behind them, it's like they are getting
free swings.
"They hit the ball solidly. Gerald had great stuff, but sometimes
you get pumped up too much when you play that first league game."
Martinez said he got a bit rattled on two routine plays that were
bobbled by the third baseman. Pasadena (4-1, 1-0) capitalized on the
miscues, helping starting pitcher Erich Files (2-0) relax.
Files, a right-hander, struck out four and limited Glendale to
five hits. In a complete-game effort, Files induced 10 groundball
outs.
Unfortunately, Martinez couldn't match Files' effort. Martinez
walked four in the first inning to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.
Martinez escaped further damage by getting a force out at home and
strike out to end the inning.
"I felt good in the bullpen," said Martinez, who struck out six in
3 1/3 innings. "My release point was too high, and I got too excited
out there. It wasn't our best game."
It wasn't Glendale's best offensive effort either. The Nitros had
scored 33 runs in their previous three games against L.A. Poly, L.A.
Wilson and Huntington Park. Those games were cut short because of the
10-run mercy rule.
Glendale scored its lone run in the third. Julian Verduzco opened
with a walk and stole second. With one out, Verduzco scored on a
grounder by Patrick Lam.
David Blyth, Lam, Martinez, Ryan Kim and Verduzco each had a
single for the Nitros. Verduzco stole two bases.
