Redbirds claim Brewers pitcher

JUPITER, Fla. -- Left-hander Luis Martinez, recently cleared in a shooting in the Dominican Republic, was claimed Monday by the St. Louis Cardinals after being placed on waivers by the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Cardinals assigned Martinez, 24, to their 40-man roster. He was the Brewers' minor-league pitcher of the year last season, pitching at Double-A Huntsville, Triple-A Indianapolis and Milwaukee and striking out 172 batters in 177 innings.

Martinez was arrested earlier this month in the shooting. Authorities in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, determined he had acted in self-defense during what began as a traffic dispute.

The 6-foot-6 Martinez made four starts for the Brewers last September in his major-league debut, going 0-3 with a 9.92 ERA. That included a start against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium in which he allowed six runs and eight hits in 3 1-3 innings.

The Brewers had announced Saturday that Martinez had agreed on a one-year contract.

-- AP