If nothing else, Friday night’s (very) rain-soaked game between the Dodgers and San Diego Padres at a sold out Petco Park in downtown San Diego was “entertaining,” as Dodgers broadcaster Rick Monday called it. And even though the Dodgers would end up losing by a score of 5-4 in 10 innings, there were a number of Dodgers highlights that indeed made the game “entertaining.”

It’s hard to argue that the solo home run by Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman in the top of the first inning to give the Dodgers an early 1-0 lead, or that the solo home run by Dodgers left fielder Trayce Thompson in the top of the fourth to break a (then) 3-3 tie weren’t the biggest highlights of the night and, in fact, accounted for half of the Dodgers runs. But there was another highlight on Friday night which, for the most part, went – and shall forever remain – completely under the radar for all but the die-hardiest of Dodger fans, and it had absolutely nothing to do with hitting.

With the score tied 4-4 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called upon 36-year-old unheralded right-hander Chris Martin to pitch the bottom of the inning. All Martin did was retire the side in order on 12 pitches (nine strikes), including striking out Padres first baseman Wil Myers on four pitches. And while that in and of itself is impressive, what’s really impressive is that of the (now) 58 opposing batters that the Arlington, TX native and 21st-round draft pick in 2005 by the Colorado Rockies out of McLennan Community College in Waco, TX has faced since becoming a Dodger on July 30, 2022, he walked none of them – zero, zip, zilch, nada.

Say what you will about Freeman, Clayton Kershaw, Mookie Betts, Trea and Justin Turner, Julio Urías, Dustin May, Craig Kimbrel, Evan Phillips (etc., etc., etc.), it’s time to give some well-deserved and long overdue love and attention to unheralded Dodgers right-hander Chris Martin.

Play Ball!

  *  *  *  *  *  *