Pedro delivers vintage performance in loss

LOS ANGELES -- After Pedro Martinez had slicked his curls and packed his man purse, he stood in front of his locker at Dodger Stadium, holding a baseball he waited 18 years to get his hands on. The ball was signed by every member of the 1991 Bakersfield Dodgers, then the club's Class A affiliate, a team that featured Mike Piazza, Raul Mondesi and Martinez on the same roster. The ball was a gift from a friend in Southern California, meant to honor Martinez's homecoming, and as the 37-year-old pitcher stared at the faded ink, a smile crept across his face from curl to curl.