American LeaguePedro Martinez has stopped contract negotiations with the Boston Red Sox and will test the free agent market after this season, the All-Star pitcher told the Boston Herald.
Dominican-born Martinez has asked his agent to notify general manager Theo Epstein and team president Larry Lucchino that he would no longer talk contract with the club during the season, according to a story posted on the newspaper's Web site late Friday.
Martinez's agent, Fernando Cuza, did not immediately respond to a message from AP seeking comment early Saturday.
"I'm just really sad for the fans in New England who had high hopes that at this time I could say, truly, that I was going to stay in Boston, but now they're going to have to compete with the rest of the league," Martinez told the newspaper on Friday before the team was scheduled to play in Texas.
After the game was postponed by rain, Martinez was not available.
He is 3-1 with a 3.03 ERA in his seventh season with the Red Sox, and is scheduled to pitch today.
"It is club policy not to comment on contract negotiations during the season," Epstein, who was not in Arlington, said through a Red Sox spokesman on Friday night.
Martinez is making US$17.5 million this season. He told the Boston Herald that he held no ill will toward the Red Sox.
"It's just business," said the right-hander, who is 170-69 in his career with a 2.62 ERA.
Martinez would not say what the chances are that he would re-sign with Boston.
"I don't know, I'm going to have to wait and see," he told the paper. "I gave them every single chance I could ... I gave them every opportunity, every discount I could give them to actually stay in Boston and they never took advantage of it. Didn't even give me an offer."
YANKEES 5, ROYALS 2
Javier Vazquez allowed two runs on two hits in eight innings Friday as the New York Yankees won their season-high fourth in a row with a 5-2 over the Kansas City Royals.
"I felt pretty good, but when you're pitching, someone's usually going to get a hit," Vazquez said nonchalantly. "You're not going to get a no-hitter every night you pitch."
Vazquez (3-2) retired the first 13 batters he faced -- including five on infield popups -- before allowing a solo homer to Ken Harvey in the fifth. He walked none and struck out five.
"He just doesn't seem to get rattled," manager Joe Torre said. ``He gives up the home run and then just gets it done.''
Mariano Rivera pitched the ninth for his eighth save.
Derek Jeter was 1-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored. Bernie Williams doubled twice and drove in a run.
The Royals' Brian Anderson (1-2) allowed five runs and walked seven in seven-plus innings.
Indians 11, Orioles 2
In Cleveland, Travis Hafner had four RBIs and Cliff Lee's strong start helped relieve a struggling bullpen as Cleveland trounced Baltimore.
Lee (3-0) allowed one run and five hits in seven innings while giving most of the Indians' relievers another day to rest. He walked four and struck out five.
Athletics 4, Devil Rays 2
In St. Petersburg, Florida, Erubiel Durazo hit a pair of two-run homers to help Oakland beat Tampa Bay and snap a six-game losing streak.
Durazo homered in the fifth and seventh innings for the Athletics, who were coming off sweeps by Anaheim and New York. It was Durazo's eighth multihomer game.
Mark Redman (2-1) allowed just four singles in 6 2-3 innings.
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