Eleven months after rotator cuff surgery, Pedro Martinez became the 15th pitcher in MLB history to record 3,000 strikeouts, scoring a win over Cincinnati in his first major-league start of 2007. The wily vet allowed three runs, two earned, in five innings on 76 pitches, and had made just four starts in the minors before his call-up.
While some believe Martinez should rehab longer, the Mets are greedy for veteran pitching at this point in the season, not least to hold off the NL East rival Phillies, who came within two games of the division leaders over the weekend. David Wright, Moises Alou, and Carlos Delgado all homered to back their ace. (More MLB stories.)