Martinez mashes 3 HRs, Vancouver holds on

Vancouver blasted five solo home runs -- including three by Jose Martinez -- and weathered a 9th-inning rally by Hopatcong to secure a 5-4 triumph on Tuesday night, tying up their best-of-seven series at 1-1.

In his first start of the postseason, Martinez homered in the 1st, 6th and 8th innings, the first two to left center and the third one to left field. In his second at-bat, he struck out in the 3rd.

His 1st inning blast gave Vancouver a 1-0 lead. Hopatcong scratched out a run in the bottom of the inning to match the Iron Fist. Zack Cozart led off with a single to shallow left, took 2nd on a wild pitch, and came home on a two-out by Nick Castellanos to tie at 1-1.

Charlie Blackmon swatted a one-out solo homer deep to right to retake the lead, 2-1.

Gio Gonzalez settled down, striking out the side in the 4th inning, before Jonathan Schoop opened the top of the 5th with a dong deep down the left-field line, giving Vancouver a 3-1 lead. Martinez's second homer of the game, leading off the 6th, expanded the lead to 4-1.

Meanwhile, James Paxton was cruising along, scattering a couple of singles through the 5th inning. After getting the first two batters in the 6th, the lefty stumbled, walking Gary Sanchez. Bryce Harper singled to shallow center and Vancouver called it a night for Paxton. Juan Nicasio took over, and got the Iron First out of it when Yoenis Cespedes flied out to left to end the inning, protecting the 3-run edge.

Nicasio got through the 7th and Martinez slugged his final homer of the night with one out in the top of the 8th to extend the Iron Fist lead to 5-1.

Trevor Rosenthal started the bottom of the 8th for Vancouver, walking Ryan Zimmerman and after Castellanos flied out to center, walked Sanchez, to put two men on. Vancouver called for the lefty Sean Doolittle to face Bryce Harper and delivered. He struck out Harper and got Cespedes on a fly out to center, ending the 8th inning.

After Adam Warren retired the side in order in the 9th, Hopatcong had one more shot. Vancouver inserted Alex Avila and Carlos Santana to man catcher and first base, respectively. Jacoby Ellsbury had come on to play center after Marwin Gonzalez pinch-hit for Jackie Bradley in the 7th and led off the bottom of  the 9th. He grounded a double down the 1st base line and promptly scored when Ronald Torreyes lined a single to left center.

The lineup turned over and Zack Cozart, acquired from Hoboken for a 4th rounder just before the deadline, stepped in. He got a hold of a Doolittle fastball, lifting a blast deep down the left-field line, and suddenly, the Floating Fish were within a run, 5-4. With Joey Votto at the plate, the Iron Fist made another switch, bringing in Joe Smith.

Votto flied out to left and then Ryan Zimmerman struck out, leaving one last hope. Robinson Cano got the call, pinch-hitting for Castellanos. The lefty batter grounded out to 3rd and Vancouver survived for the 5-4 road win.

Paxton (2-0) almost got through 6 innings, falling one out short. He walked 1 and struck out 6 over 5 2/3 innings, yielding 1 run on 6 hits. Nicasio and Rosenthal combined to throw 2 hitless innings, despite Rosenthal's 2 walks. Doolittle nearly blew it, finishing with an ugly line of 2/3 innings, 3 hits, 3 runs allowed. Smith (S, 1) got the save, recording all three outs in the 9th.

Gio Gonzalez (0-1) surrendered all five home runs. He logged 8 innings, giving up 8 hits and 5 runs. He walked 2 and struck out 6. Warren struck out 2 in working the 9th.

Martinez led all batters with 3 hits, 3 runs and 3 RBIs, all coming on his HRs. Torreyes had 2 hits and so did Cozart, who also had 2 runs scored and 2 RBI.

Vancouver finished with 5 runs on 8 hits, leaving 5 men aboard. Hopatcong got 9 hits, scoring 4 runs, but left 9 men on.