Martinez Will Take His Shot on Mound

The smile on Ramon Martinez’s face said it all.

The Pittsburgh Pirate right-hander, who will start tonight against the Dodgers, could have lashed out against former Dodger general manager Kevin Malone. But Martinez merely grinned when asked about Malone’s downfall and Dave Wallace’s appointment as his interim replacement.

While Malone twice let Martinez go, in 1998 and at the close of this past spring training, Martinez is especially tight with Wallace.

“I was kind of surprised by what happened,” Martinez said. “I congratulate Dave because he works very hard, he’s very smart and he’s good for the team.”

Martinez, 33, signed a free-agent contract with the Dodgers on Jan. 18, after two seasons in Boston, and was expected to make the team as the No. 5 starter. But Martinez was surprisingly granted free agency on March 28.

“I think Kevin made the decision he thought was right in [choosing Eric] Gagne, who also pitched great in spring training,” Martinez said. “I never have good spring trainings. All you have to do is look at my past. If you count on that, I would never make the team. I showed I was healthy.”

In six Grapefruit League appearances, Martinez went 0-3 with a 5.83 earned-run average.

“It did seem as if they were waiting for me to have a real bad game to come to that decision,” Martinez said. “The only real bad game I had, I thought, was the last one.”

In his final spring outing, Martinez gave up six earned runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings to the Houston Astros. A day later, Martinez was a two-time former Dodger and was met at his car by Wallace and physical therapist Pat Screnar for farewells.

“I wasn’t upset,” Martinez said. “It was a business decision that [Malone] had to make for the best of the team.

“I was very upset in 1998. I was more upset at that time.”

After pitching half of the 1998 season with a torn rotator cuff, the Dodgers declined to re-sign Martinez.

This past March, however, Martinez left Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Fla., and returned to his native Dominican Republic. He stayed in shape with workouts at Campo Las Palmas, the Dodger Dominican baseball academy.

The Pirates came calling and Martinez signed with them April 11.

“It is strange [to be in a visiting uniform at Dodger Stadium],” Martinez said. “It feels a little different, but I’m with this team right now. It’s a little weird, but it’s OK.”

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Carlos Perez, who is owed $7.5 million this season, is having some success on his rehab stint at triple-A Las Vegas. The Dodgers must either call him up or release him by May 5.

Until giving up a three-run home run to Calgary in the seventh inning Monday night, the enigmatic left-hander had run his scoreless streak to 12 innings.