Martinez Disables the Expos

Dodger starter Ramon Martinez glanced up into the Dodger Stadium stands Tuesday night, and there was his father nervously watching.

He looked over his left shoulder into the visitor’s dugout, and there was his brother quietly rooting.

He looked down, and couldn’t believe he was standing on the pitcher’s mound again.

Martinez, pitching for the first time in five weeks, quieted everyone’s fears and his own by leading the Dodgers to a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Expos in front of a paid crowd of 37,942.

He gave up only five hits and one run in six innings. He then stepped aside after 98 pitches, and watched reliever Antonio Osuna pitch two shutout innings and Todd Worrell retire the side in the ninth for his ninth save, securing Martinez’s victory.

Martinez (2-0) who has won eight consecutive decisions since last season, dazzled hitters with his fastball. He made them look silly with his curveball and change-up. And he kept his poise the entire night.

Martinez looked more like a 20-game winner in midseason form than a guy coming off the disabled list after suffering a torn groin muscle.

“I know he was anxious to be out there again, we all were,” said Expo pitcher Pedro Martinez, Ramon’s youngest brother. “I was so worried about him. I’ve been quiet on the bench. Our dad [Paulino] even came out to the game to make sure he was OK, and of course, our mom has been real worried.

“We told him not to come back too soon. But Ramon is a gamer. Ramon doesn’t like sitting around.”

Certainly, the Expos couldn’t tell any difference in Martinez. He was as nasty and relentless as ever on the mound. The Expos came to bat 11 times with runners in scoring position but never got a hit.

Even the Expos’ lone run was a fluke. The second-inning run scored only because rookie center fielder Roger Cedeno lost Shane Andrews’ fly ball in the lights, dropping in for a run-scoring double.

“I thought he threw the ball extremely well,” said Fred Claire, Dodger executive vice president. “When you consider he’s been out for five weeks and came back and pitched this strong of a game, and threw with that good of velocity and that strong of command . . . It was very impressive.”

While Martinez’s pitching indeed was superb, he found out firsthand just what it has been like pitching for the Dodgers of late. You go out and pitch nine innings of shutout baseball, and figure the worst that can happen to you is a no-decision.

The Dodgers seemingly caught a huge break when Expo starter Tavo Alvarez was forced to leave the game after one-third of an inning with a strained right hamstring. The Expos had no choice but to bring in journeyman Mike Dyer, followed by Dave Veres and Omar Daal.

It might as well have been Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale and Fernando Valenzuela.

The only damage the Dodgers produced off Dyer was a leadoff homer by Raul Mondesi in the second inning. They didn’t score again until after Dyer departed. Veres entered the game in the fifth and promptly walked Roger Cedeno, who stole second base and and scored on Mike Piazza’s single to center.

Martinez had a 2-1 lead, and with the way the Dodgers are hitting these days, he realized he better not expect anything more. After Eric Karros followed Piazza with a single, the Dodgers failed to produce another hit the rest of the game. Daal retired all seven batters he faced.

The Dodgers remain 5 1/2 games behind the San Diego Padres. And although the Expos are off to their best start in franchise history, their lead over the Atlanta Braves was cut to 1 1/2 games.

“Ramon gives this team a real boost,” Dodger pitching coach Dave Wallace said. “Justhis presence means so much.

“I know everybody stepped forward and picked us up when he was out, but you’ve got to feel good about adding a guy to your staff who put 17 wins up for you last year.”