Marte’s Four-Hitter Defeats Stockton

Damaso Marte pitched a four-hitter and struck out 11 in the Lancaster JetHawks’ 2-0 victory over the Stockton Ports on Friday night at Stockton.

Josh Watts hit a home run on the first pitch of the fifth inning to break a scoreless tie. Later in the inning, Joel Ramirez drove in David Skeels with a single to center.

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Much has changed during the 11 years since Dodger pitcher Ramon Martinez last played in the California League. He is on a rehabilitation assignment with the San Bernardino Stampede while recovering from a partially torn rotator cuff.

“It’s pretty nice,” Martinez said. “When I played in 1986, the California League was a lot different. At that time, they didn’t have nice stadiums like the Hangar in Lancaster or the one in San Bernardino.”

Martinez noticed a difference in pitching to minor leaguers.

“You can never set the hitters up,” Martinez said. “These kids appreciate when they can face a major leaguer.”

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Coming into Thursday night’s game, Shawn Buhner of the JetHawks had a string of 16 consecutive at-bats without a strikeout to go along with his nine-game hitting streak.

Buhner hit a run-scoring single off Martinez in the first inning to extend his hitting streak, then struck out swinging in his next at-bat to end the third inning.

Martinez needed six pitches to end the strikeout streak: a ball, two called strikes, another ball, a foul and strike three.

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The 18-game hitting streak by Stampede center fielder Rolando Avila--the longest in the California League this year--ended Thursday. Although Avila scored San Bernardino’s only run in the sixth inning, he walked twice and grounded out twice.

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Lancaster’s 5-1 victory Thursday gave the JetHawks their sixth sweep of the second half and seventh of the season.

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All reserved seats for Thursday night’s game were sold before it was announced Martinez would appear. The JetHawks staged their “Field of Dreams” promotion, in which fans were chosen to be the fantasy announcer and fantasy scorekeeper. The team also participated in a fund-raiser for former Paraclete High football and basketball player Brant Theurer, who was critically injured in a July 1995 automobile accident while returning from a passing league game.

Volunteers sold 985 tickets before the announcement that Martinez would pitch, with $2 from each ticket going toward Theurer’s medical expenses.

Theurer, who uses a wheelchair and is re-learning to walk, threw out the first ball. He received a standing ovation when he stood up to make the first pitch.

Dodger Manager Bill Russell visited Theurer in the stands during the game, and autographed the baseball Theurer threw.

AROUND THE LEAGUES

Stacy Kleiner (Taft High), a second baseman in the St. Louis Cardinals’ organization, was promoted to double-A Arkansas from Class-A Prince William, Va. In 90 games at Prince William, where he had infielders from the area on both sides, Kleiner batted .314 with 22 doubles, four homers and 32 runs batted in. First baseman Nate Dishington (Hoover) leads Prince William with 26 home runs and 93 RBIs, and shortstop Adam Kennedy (Cal State Northridge) is batting .302 since being promoted from the New York-Penn League in July.

Several area players recently were promoted to triple A, including first baseman Brad Fullmer (Montclair Prep) to Ottawa, shortstop Jason Evans (Chatsworth) to Nashville, second baseman Steve Sisco (Thousand Oaks) to Omaha, and right-handed pitcher Russell Ortiz (Montclair Prep) to Phoenix.

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West Michigan’s Robert Fick (Cal State Northridge, Newbury Park High) tied a Class-A Midwest League record with his 47th double. Fick also stole third, his fifth stolen base this week and ninth of the season.