Pedro's Anger Hurts BoSox

BOSTON (AP) Pedro Martinez pitched a pretty good fit in the Red Sox clubhouse. But Tim Hudson pitched an even better ballgame.

Hours after throwing a tantrum at general manager Dan Duquette, Martinez struck out 11 batters in seven innings. But he couldn't match Hudson, who allowed four hits in eight innings to lead the Oakland Athletics over the Boston Red Sox 6-2 Thursday night.

The win pulled Oakland within one game of Boston in the AL wild-card race.

"We are extremely happy leaving here with a split, especially going against Pedro tonight," A's manager Art Howe said. "But we always feel confident with Tim Hudson on the mound."

The Oakland rookie allowed just one earned run and struck out seven to win his sixth consecutive decision. He was 4-0 in Triple-A and 3-0 at Double-A Midland, making him a combined 15-1 this season.

T.J. Mathews got two outs with two on in the ninth for his third save.

Martinez (17-4) was scratched from his previous start after he arrived about 30 minutes before the game, breaking a team rule that requires players to be at the ballpark two hours early. He has stewed about the incident all week, demanding an apology from manager Jimy Williams for not keeping the matter private.

Before Thursday's game, Martinez unleashed a tantrum at Duquette in the Boston clubhouse in front of several reporters.

"Are you here to see if I'm here two hours before the game?" the pitchereportedly yelled. "Well I am, OK?"

Martinez then went out and struck out the first four Oakland batters, including Matt Stairs leading off the second.

Stairs said he knew Martinez was angry.

"You could see it in his eyes and the way he threw the ball," said the A's outfielder, who struck out three times.

Martinez allowed three runs on seven hits and walked none. After the game, Martinez joked around and insisted he was not angry at Duquette or Williams for Saturday's scratch.

"Jimy just made a statement. He said, 'If Pedro's not allowed to do it, nobody else is.' That's not just to me, that's to the whole team," Martinez said. "I'm a man about it, I made a mistake."

Later Martinez admitted he was angry, but only because cameras were waiting to record his arrival.

"You guys need to let it go," he joked to reporters. "The clubhouse is my house. If you sneak into my house and I don't know who you are, I'll shoot you."

Oakland led 2-0 before the Red Sox tied it in the fifth on Reggie Jefferson's homer and Trot Nixon's RBI triple. But with two outs in the sixth, Miguel Tejada homered into the screen above the Green Monster for a 3-2 lead.

John Jaha hit a two-run pinch single in the eighth to make it 5-2. Eric Chavez doubled and scored on Rich Becker's single in the ninth.

It was the 12th time this season that Martinez has struck out 10 or more batters, tying the club record set by Roger Clemens in 1988. It was also the 47th time in Martinez' career he has done it.

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