Now the Mets sit 15 1/2 games out of first place, and Martinez is on a World Series contender. And as he showed on Sunday afternoon in Queens, Pedro's still got it.
The 37-year-old future Hall of Famer wasn't dominant against his former club, but he pitched well enough to earn his second win as he and the Phillies beat the Mets 9-7. Martinez went six innings, giving up four runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out five.
Though Pedro was the story heading in, the story after the game was the final play. With the Phillies clinging to a two-run lead with two on and nobody out in the bottom of the ninth, Luis Castillo took off for third and Daniel Murphy took off for second as Brad Lidge pitched to Jeff Francoeur. Francoeur ripped the ball toward right-center, but Phillies second baseman Eric Bruntlett snagged the line drive, tagged the bag for a double play and tagged Murphy for an unassisted triple play to end the game.
It was the first game-ending triple play in National League history.
For the Mets, starter Oliver Perez didn't make it out of the first inning, giving up six runs on two walks and four hits, two of which were home runs. Perez is the pitcher whom the Mets opted to re-sign in the winter, inking the lefty to a three-year, $36 million contract.
The win improved Martinez to 2-0 and the Phillies to 71-50, keeping their lead in the NL East at 6 1/2 games over the Braves.
Bruntlett made an error earlier in the inning that allowed Castillo to reach base.
