DUGOUT: Victor Martinez continues to roll

Cleveland Indians’ veteran slugger Victor Martinez is certainly showing why he should be considered the best hitter in the league.

Having played in every one of his team’s first 45 games, the 30-year-old Martinez is sporting a batting average of .364.

Because of an injury to teammate Travis Hafner, Martinez has been forced to play half of his games from the first-base bag. Whether this is to his benefit or not has yet to be seen, but what is known is that Martinez couldn’t stand the wear-and-tear of 45 consecutive games crouched behind the plate.

Martinez had a batting average as high as .400 as recently as May 16, but a recent 0-16 slump has brought him down to third in the race for the American League batting title.

All batters go through slumps, but the elite batters find a way to make things happen when their teams need it most. After going five at-bats devoid of a hit on Monday, Martinez stepped to the plate in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded and his team down by one to the Tampa Bay Rays. The Indians had already scored a total of five runs in the bottom of the ninth to bring the score to 10-9. After drawing a count of 2-2, Martinez slapped a single to center field to drive in two runs for the walk-off win.

What at way to end a batting skid.

Despite Martinez’s heroics at the plate, the Indians’ record is still a disappointing 18-28, still more than eight games behind the division-leading Detroit Tigers.

Pittsburgh Pirates’ second baseman Freddie Sanchez enjoyed another big game on Monday night.

Normally located in the cellar of their division, the Pirates find themselves with a record close to even an even .500 and in the thick of the race in the ultra-competitive NL Central.

On Monday, the Pirates headed west to start a crucial three-game series with the rival Chicago Cubs.

The Pirates, as some of you will doubtless remember, were the envy of all baseball teams years ago. Boasting Hall-of-Famers like Vic Willis, Honus Wagner, Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell, the Pirates have enjoyed seven World Series appearances in their colored history.

Their last, though, was exactly 30 years ago. Going 16 years without a winning record could ruin any front office’s motivation to win, but Pittsburgh feels they can make some noise in 2009.

Sanchez is doing all he can to make that happen. On Monday, he went 6-6 to make him the first Pirate in 19 years to collect six hits in a game. The 31-year-old scored four times and drove in three more runs to give the Pirates a 10-8 victory over the Cubs.

While Sanchez has a long way to go before he can join the Clemente-Stargell conversation, he is finally giving long-suffering Pittsburgh baseball fans a reason to smile.

The New York Mets have been the beneficiary of the controversial MLB instant replay rule that was put into effect this year.

For the third time in as many days, the Mets were forced to put their game on hold while others reviewed a questionable home run.

On Saturday, the Mets were in the middle of a three-game interleague series with the Boston Red Sox and were awaiting the verdict on what appeared to be a two-run home run off the bat of seldom-used catcher Omir Santos.

The call stood and provided the difference as the Mets won 3-2. Sunday brought another controversial home run, this time off the bat of Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis. The home run call was upheld and the Red Sox won 12-5.

Another game, another replay. On Monday night against the Washington Nationals, the Mets were tied 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth. With two runners on base, Gary Sheffield launched a ball to left field. As it was coming down, a fan unsuccessfully attempted to catch the ball, which then fell back onto the field.

Was it a home run or simply a double?

Six minutes of review later, the crew chief marched back onto the field with his subordinates in tow. With a simple flick of the wrist he brought the 41,103 fans packed into the recently constructed Citi Field to their feet in jubilation. It was a home run.

Although struggling with injuries, the Mets are remaining competitive in their National League East. The hapless Nationals, on the other hand, are probably more worried about the upcoming MLB draft — and their negotiations with super-agent Scott Boras, who represents the flame-throwing Stephen Strasburg — than they are about their current 13-31 record.

Some calls from dad are more important than others, right?

When 26-year-old Tony Gwynn, Jr. picked up the phone this past week, he had no idea that the subject would involve the relocation of his career.

The senior Tony Gwynn was the face of the San Diego Padres’ franchise for nearly two decades. He helped the Padres reach the World Series twice and earned a total of eight National League batting titles. Gwynn, Sr. is also a member of baseball’s Hall of Fame.

When the father called to announce a trade that would make the son a Padre, both were ecstatic. Gwynn, Jr. will play baseball with almost ceaseless reminders of the legend of his namesake.

On his way to the ballpark every day Gwynn, Jr. will drive down “Tony Gwynn Drive.” When he roams center field Gwynn, Jr. needs only to turn around to see a bronze statue of his father just beyond the fence.

Both father and son are thrilled for this opportunity and neither are worried about the pressure Gwynn, Jr. will face.

Andrew Kneeland will be a junior at Sahuarita High School. He is an intern at the Green Valley News.