Phillies to start Pedro on Wednesday; Moyer odd man out
Pedro Martinez will make his Philadelphia Phillies and 2009 debut on Wednesday night at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs – bet on the game at WagerWeb.com.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner will be making his first appearance since Sept. 25 with the Mets.
He was signed by the Phillies on July 15 and was 1-1 with a 5.11 ERA while rehabbing his shoulder in the minors.
“I know a different Pedro,” said Alfonso Soriano, who is hitting .163 and has 15 strikeouts in 43 at-bats against Martinez when he was pitching for Boston. “He didn’t have the same stuff [the last few years]. I hope he doesn’t have the same stuff he did in 2001 and 2003.”
The Cubs are the last major-league team that Martinez faced, on Sept. 25, 2008, at Shea Stadium. Last year with the Mets, the 37-year-old Martinez boasted was 5-6 with a 5.61 ERA accumulated in 109 innings in 20 games. That’s an average of just over five innings per start, and the Phils probably are prepared for Pedro to now just be a five-inning pitcher.
Because the Phils would have had six starters with Pedro activated, Jamie Moyer (10-9, 5.47) will be moved to the bullpen, even though it is generally believed his soft-throwing style is not conducive to effective relief pitching. The Phillies may need a sixth starter in September, when they play 30 games, including two makeup contests. The 46-year-old Moyer is signed through next season.
“Based on our reports on how Pedro has pitched in his rehab starts, we felt it was time to move him into our rotation,” manager Charlie Manuel said in a news release. “Jamie was a total professional and team player when we let him know of the decision to move him to the bullpen. He has been and will continue to be a very important part of this team.”
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