Oct 13, 2008 - 1:08 AM
0 shoutsBy John Reger PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer
LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Though he was the only Los Angeles Dodgers starter who was hitless in team's 7-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday, Russell Martin's contributions were equally as important to his team's success.
Martin navigated winning pitcher Hiroki Kuroda through six innings in Game Three of the National League Championship Series, but it was his actions in the bottom of the third inning that calmed a potentially explosive situation.
Kuroda threw a pitch up around the head of Shane Victorino, who immediately pointed at the righthander. Martin got between Victorino and Kuroda and eased the temper of the Philadelphia Phillies' No. 2 hitter.
"The ball got away from Kuroda. It was high and tight over (Victorino's) head," Martin said. "That's the last thing we were trying to do is hit somebody in the head. We're trying to get them uncomfortable - that's baseball. They've been throwing tight in on us to get us a little uncomfortable."
After Victorino grounded out to first to end the inning, Kuroda said something that caused the benches to empty and, while players like Manny Ramirez had to be restrained, Martin was calm, trying to hold back the fiery Ramirez and others.
"It's already over with as far as I'm concerned, but you never know what can happen," Martin said. "It's the playoffs."
The Canadian Martin had the right to be a lot more upset. He was hit by a pitch on the side of his left knee in the first inning after three successive singles. In the bottom of the seventh, he was hit again.
"They were trying to throw to make me uncomfortable and get the outside part of the plate," Martin said. "That's part of the game. I'm fine with that."
Long before Ramirez and Casey Blake came to the team, Martin was the team's All-Star. He played in 155 games this season, most of them behind the plate, and was often cited as the team's quiet leader.
"He's been huge," Los Angeles manager Joe Torre said of his catcher. "In Chicago (in the NL Division Series) he got huge hits for us, big bases-loaded double for us, sort of broke the game open for us. He's not afraid of the pressure and that's one thing that you think you see all year long. But again, when you get to October, that's a special time."
Martin has had a hit in five of six postseason games and seven of nine playoff games in his career. Entering Sunday's contest, he had a .313 career postseason average with five RBI and six runs scored.
But it has been his demeanor behind the plate that has earned him the admiration of his teammates, especially pitchers.
"He's definitely come a long way," Derek Lowe said. "I was fortunate, in my opinion, to play with the best catcher in all of baseball, especially in calling a game in (Boston Red Sox backstop Jason) Varitek. I think Russell is eventually going to get there. You can't expect him to be at Jason's level this early in his career."
But everyone on the Dodgers expects him to get there.
"This kid (Martin) can run and he's a real good hitter," Torre said. "He's got a great body and the ability to throw. He's just got a lot of life in his body."
