Page 4B
MLB
East Oregonian
Saturday, October 13, 2018
JD Martinez holds no grudge
against Astros, who released him
By JIMMY GOLEN
AP Sports Writer
BOSTON — J.D. Marti-
nez wants to thank the Hous-
ton Astros — not get back at
them — for releasing him
when he was struggling to
make himself into a star.
The Red Sox slugger
credits his growing pains in
Houston for teaching him
“how to fail,” a lesson he
credits with transforming
him into an MVP candidate
who helped Boston win a
franchise-record 108 games
and reach the AL Champi-
onship Series against his for-
mer team.
“My failures in Hous-
ton is what made me who
I am,” Martinez said Fri-
day, a day before the Astros
and Red Sox open the best-
of-seven series. “There’s
really no animosity there. In
a sense they did me a favor
by allowing me to leave and
play on another team.”
It will be the second
straight year the Red Sox
and Astros meet in the post-
season — last year it was the
ALDS — and the second
straight year that aces Chris
Sale will go against Justin
Verlander in the opener.
The biggest difference
this time: Boston has Marti-
nez on its side.
And the Astros could
have.
Martinez made his big-
league debut for Hous-
ton in 2011, driving in 28
runs in his first full month
in the majors. After play-
ing part time the next two
years — hitting 18 homers
with 91 RBIs in 199 games
— he was 26 years old and
batting .167 in the spring
of 2014 when the Astros
released him, preferring to
give the at-bats to top pros-
pect George Springer.
AP Photo/Charles Krupa
Boston Red Sox right fielder J.D. Martinez gestures as he is interviewed prior to a
workout at Fenway Park on Friday in Boston. The Red Sox face the Houston Astros
in baseball’s American League Championship.
ALCS
Houston
Astros
Boston
Red Sox
Game 1, Sat. 5:09 p.m.
Martinez landed with
Detroit that season and by
2015 he was an All-Star,
hitting 38 homers with 102
RBIs. He hit 45 homers last
year, when he was traded
from the Tigers to Diamond-
backs and was 14th in MVP
voting despite playing just
62 games in the NL.
“I always believed he’s
going to be the player he is
right now,” said Astros sec-
ond baseman Jose Altuve,
the reigning AL MVP, who
came up through the minors
with Martinez. “He got a
AP Photo/Charles Krupa
Grounds crew workers prepare the field prior to a
workout at Fenway Park on Friday in Boston. The Red
Sox face the Houston Astros in Game 1 of baseball’s
American League Championship on Saturday.
couple of tough years with
us in the big leagues. But I
think the best thing that hap-
pened to him was going to
the Tigers and becoming the
player that he is.
Verlander was Martinez’s
teammate in Detroit and
said he was “there from the
moment he turned his career
around.”
“He went and completely
revamped his swing that off-
season, and saw immediate
dividends,” Verlander said.
“(He) never stopped hit-
ting. Seeing somebody like
that who works so hard and
turned their career around to
where he’s at now, as a fel-
low player, and you respect
it and I’m happy for him. I
really am.”
Now Martinez is one of
the keys — with Mookie
Betts, who is expected to
edge him for the AL MVP
award — on a Red Sox team
that won a third straight AL
East title but advanced in
the playoffs for the first time
since 2013, eliminating the
rival New York Yankees in
the ALDS.
The Central Division
champion Astros did OK,
too, winning their first World
Series last year; Springer
was Series MVP.
So, no hard feelings.
“God gave me another
opportunity and put me in a
good situation with Detroit.
And that’s kind of where
I continued to grow until
where I am today, really,”
Martinez said. “And if it
wasn’t for that I probably
wouldn’t be here right now.
Who knows where I would
have been?”
Saturday night’s opener
will be a rematch of Game
1 of the ALDS last year,
when the Astros jumped on
Sale for seven runs in five
innings, including back-to-
back homers by Alex Breg-
man and Altuve in the first.
Altuve added another homer
in the fifth.
Sale and Verlander each
came out of the bullpen in
Game 4, with the Red Sox
lefty outpitching the Astros
ace before tiring in his fifth
inning of relief and taking
the loss as the Red Sox were
eliminated. With the teams
meeting one round further
along this year, the stakes
are even higher.
“Obviously, the winner
of this one goes to the World
Series,” Sale said. “We
know who we’re up against.
He’s obviously one of the
best around, and really good
in the postseason.”
“My failures in Houston is what made me who I am.”
— J.D. Martinez, Boston Red Sox
AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File
In this June 26 photo,
New York Yankees short-
stop Didi Gregorius pre-
pares to throw to first in
Philadelphia.
Yankees’
Gregorius
needs arm
surgery
NEW YORK (AP) —
Yankees star shortstop Didi
Gregorius needs Tommy
John surgery on his right
elbow after injuring him-
self making a throw in Bos-
ton during the AL Division
Series, and there’s no tell-
ing exactly when he’ll be
able to play again.
General manager Brian
Cashman said Friday that
Gregorius will be out
“until sometime next sum-
mer.” Cashman said the
team will have a better idea
about his return after sur-
gery, which hasn’t yet been
scheduled.
The surprise announce-
ment at Yankee Stadium
led to immediate specula-
tion the team might even-
tually make a big move to
fill the void — pursuit of
All-Star infielder and free
agent-to-be Manny Mach-
ado, now in the NL play-
offs with the Los Angeles
Dodgers.
In the meantime, second
baseman Gleyber Torres is
the Yankees’ top internal
solution at shortstop, Cash-
man said.
“The best option is
Didi,” Cashman said.
“We’ll wait on him.”
The 28-year-old Gre-
gorius is the anchor of the
Yankees’ infield, popular
with his teammates and a
fan favorite.
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2004 Toyota Corolla CE
Front wheel drive, automat-
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72k miles. $4950
541-969-9518
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2016 Honda UTV Honda Pio-
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$14,000. Walla Walla, WA.
(509)730-3795
360 Garage Sales
****Trying it again - hoping for
SUNSHINE!
Misc. household items; some
furniture; clothing; last of Estate
items
1813 SW 43rd Street Pendle-
ton. Sat Oct 13 8am - 3pm
LIVING TRUST SALE
New stuff, twin size day bed, 4
drawer filing cabinet, Kitchenaid
stand mixer, Antique bedroom
chair, Hobby & Scrapbooking
supplies, floor lamp, kitchen
ware, pictures, material, fabric
and $1.00 shrubs.
720 SE 9th St. Pendleton
9am-?
Friday 10/12 & Saturday 10/13
502 Real Estate
502 Real Estate
504 Homes for Sale
504 Homes for Sale
TURN HERE for Profession-
al Courteous Representation
-Find your new home- 3 or
4 bedroom home, garage or
Shop? Call Kerry at Turn Here
Realty to find the one on your
wishlist. 541-377-6855
TURN HERE REALTY &
TRAVEL
305 SW Court Ave
Call the “Weekend & After Hours
Realtor” to view homes at a con-
venient time for you. Available
on Short Notice, Special Financ-
ing Program Information! Call
Matt Vogler, 541.377.9470
John J. Howard & Assoc.
(541) 377-9470
$165,000- Super tidy home!
Bathrooms and kitchen remod-
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fireplace, newer windows and
sidings. Trex deck, garden area,
detached garage. Dori 541-310-
1001 cell. #18173717
Coldwell Banker &
Associates
541-276-0021
Thinking of selling or buying a
home? I am happy to help with
all your real estate needs and I
am available evenings, week-
ends and holidays to accommo-
date your busy schedule. Also
available on short notice. Call
Carolyn Rovier
Ranch-N-Home Realty
541-786-0822
504 Homes for Sale
Prices are up! Now may be the
time to gain some equity and
move up to a larger home. Call
Matt Vogler for a free Market
Analysis.
John J. Howard & Assoc.
(541) 377-9470
$77,500- Two for the price of
one! 2 homes on this lot, total of
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in really good shape. Outbuild-
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#18335992
Coldwell Banker &
Associates
541-276-0021
RMLS#18437195 Cute 3 b/r 2
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room or 4th bedroom, deck with
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Call Cathy for more info (541)
215-0103.
Garton & Associates
541-276-0931
CLASSIFIEDS ARE the place to
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TURN HERE at 305 SW Court
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How Much is your Home Worth?
Call Matt Vogler, The Week-
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541.377.9470. More Listings
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John J. Howard & Assoc.
(541) 377-9470
Current MLS listings include
several 3 and 4 bedroom, 2 bath
homes for sale in popular loca-
tions. Call Matt Vogler, “The
Weekend and After Hours Re-
altor” for addresses and pricing.
John J. Howard & Assoc.
541.377.9470
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