Apr 26, 2020
Benches clear after Pedro hits Sanders tonight on TSN
Relive one of the most iconic starts from Pedro Martinez’s career as the young right-hander takes a perfect game into the eighth inning only to have it broken up by a hit by pitch that led to a bench-clearing brawl. Catch it tonight at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on TSN2, TSN.ca and on TSN Direct.
TSN.ca Staff
As baseball continues to wait things out along with the rest of the sports world, TSN digs into the archives to bring you a bundle of classic Montreal Expos games. Relive some of the best memories from the 36-year history of Canada’s first Major League franchise right here on TSN. On tap for today? Pedro Martinez’s near-perfect game from April of 1994 against the Cincinnati Reds, which was broken up by a hit-by-pitch and ensuing brawl.
In November of 1993, the Montreal Expos took a chance on a young right-hander named Pedro Martinez by acquiring him in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. While effective in his two seasons in L.A., many within the Dodgers’ organization felt the 155-pound Martinez didn’t have the size to be a durable long-term option in the starting rotation, using him primarily out of the bullpen. The Expos disagreed.
It was a risky trade for both sides. Heading back to the Dodgers was promising second baseman Delino DeShields, who hit .277 and stole 187 bases combined over his first four seasons. On the other hand, Martinez had one of the most electric fastballs in the game and devastating off-speed stuff but struggled with control. If the Expos were able to harness the potential of their young righty, they’d have a star on their hands.
They did. And then some.
Relive one of the most iconic starts from Pedro Martinez’s career tonight at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on TSN2, TSN.ca, the TSN App and on TSN Direct.
Expos fans fell in love with Martinez almost right away. His second start of 1994 was vintage Pedro on all fronts. Facing the Cincinnati Reds in the ninth game of the season in front of 14,000-plus at Olympic Stadium, it was clear Martinez had his good stuff early on. He retired the first nine hitters Cincinnati sent to the plate. And the next nine, too.
As the game wore on and the Expos led 1-0 to start the seventh inning, Martinez was nine outs away from becoming the first pitcher ever to throw a perfect game in his first complete game. Tony Fernandez and Barry Larkin began the inning with groundouts to shortstop. Next was Hal Morris, who hit one right on the screws that was tracked down by Larry Walker in right field. Six outs to go.
In the bottom half of the inning, catcher Darren Fletcher connected on his second solo home run of the game to push Montreal’s lead to 2-0. Martinez came back out for the eighth and got Kevin Mitchell to fly out to left-centre field, bringing power-hitting outfielder Reggie Sanders to the dish.
Martinez struck out Sanders two previous times that night, brushing him back off the plate with inside pitches in both at-bats. Sanders wasn’t happy and starred out to the mound. In typical Pedro fashion, he starred right back.
In their third meeting, Martinez quickly got ahead of Sanders 0-2 and tried to go back to his bread and butter inside. But Martinez let his third offering go a split second too early and drilled Sanders just above the left elbow.
If the Cincinnati right-fielder didn’t like the first two brushbacks, this was the boiling point. Sanders charged Martinez furiously and the benches emptied, resulting in a massive pileup in the infield. After the game, there was plenty of confusion about Sanders’ decision.
“I don’t think there is any [way] a pitcher throwing a perfect game is going to hit somebody on purpose,” Montreal Manager Felipe Alou told reporters.
“There was no way I was trying to hit him,” Martinez said. “I guess he took it the wrong way. I was surprised he charged out. Surprised, but not afraid.”
“You have to have a spirit of forgiveness in this game,” Alou said. “Martinez is a guy of 155 pounds. I’d like to see Sanders charge one of those big 220-pound specimens.”
When the dust settled, Sanders was ejected but Martinez was allowed to remain in the game. He regained his composure to retire the next two Reds and go to the ninth with his no-hitter still intact, but Brian Dorsett ended Martinez’s bid at history by leading off the ninth with a single.
That was all for the 22-year-old righty as Alou took the ball from his starter and sent him back to the dugout to a rousing ovation. John Wetteland would allow two runs in relief but the Expos won it in the bottom half on a walk-off single by pinch-hitter Lou Frazier.
Always willing to go right after hitters and move them off the plate by pitching inside, Martinez would go on to pitch another four seasons with the Expos. He was an All-Star for the first time in 1996 and won the Cy Young Award the year after for posting an ERA of 1.90 and leading the league with 13 complete games.
The 1994 season was a special one in Montreal as the Expos picked up right where they left off from a strong 1993 and sat in first place at 74-40. Fans were hopeful of returning to the playoffs for the first time since 1981.
But throughout the past year a storm had been brewing off the field. As the collective bargaining agreement ran out on New Year’s Eve of 1993, Major League Baseball and the Players Association had not come together on a new deal. Negotiations continued throughout the winter and into the season but with little progress, leading to a strike in mid-August. When the season was halted and eventually cancelled, so was Montreal’s chance – maybe their best – at a World Series.
They never did make it back to October, and 10 years later moved to Washington D.C. after years of declining attendance. While the 1994 season is often a bittersweet reminder of what could have been for Expos fans, it was the perfect glimpse into the type of career Martinez would go on the have.
TSN’s run through Expos history continues Tuesday night with David Cone’s perfect game against them in a matchup with the New York Yankees from 1999.