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Martin dedicates big performance to Fernandez
- Updated: September 29, 2016
HOUSTON — For Leonys Martin, this win carried a little something extra. And not just because he had three hits, three runs and a pair of stolen bases as the Mariners kept a postseason bid in their sights with a 12-4 victory over the Astros on Wednesday.
This one, the 28-year-old Cuban said, was for his childhood friend, Jose Fernandez.
“He’s in my heart,” Martin said of the Marlins star pitcher, who died Sunday in a boating accident in Miami. “I lost a dear friend. We were great friends. I’ve known Jose since we were 8 years old. For me, it’s really tough. I can’t explain that. But this is one of my best games of the year, and I’d like to dedicate it to my boy. I still love him. I love my boy.”
Martin, one of three Cuban players on the Mariners, was hit hard by the news of Fernandez’s death when he arrived to the ballpark on Sunday in Minnesota. Martin played that day, then buried his head in his hands in his locker after the game.
“That’s a very difficult thing,” said teammate Kyle Seager. “You’re talking about somebody he was close …
