Kansas City, Mo ? For the first time in a long while, Pedro Martinez was dominant.

Martinez pitched one-hit ball for eight innings, and Shea Hillenbrand had a bases-loaded triple to lead the Boston Red Sox over the Kansas City Royals 4-0 Friday night for their fourth straight win.

Martinez (2-0) struck out six and walked none, lowering his ERA from 6.91 to 4.43. He gave up only a clean, looping single to Mike Sweeney in the fourth and ended the inning by fanning Michael Tucker for his 2,000th career strikeout.

“That’s a huge milestone,” Martinez said. “It’s something to be proud of. A lot of people doubted if I could pitch five innings (early in my career). It is pretty much the same as the first time I won 20 games.”

Rich Garces worked the ninth, giving up Neifi Perez’s two-out single to complete Boston’s second shutout of the season.

Martinez, who threw 94 pitches, seems to be rounding into form after getting roughed up on opening day against Toronto. The Red Sox ace missed most of last season with a shoulder injury.

“I think he’s getting real close to being back to where he was,” manager Grady Little said. “Everything was working for him. He’s getting his confidence back that his arm is not going to hurt anymore.”

Carlos Beltran reached on Martinez’s error with two outs in the fourth and advanced to third on Sweeney’s soft single to right-center.

“That was a cutter away, a good pitch, but Sweeney’s a very good hitter,” Martinez said. “He probably hit a pitcher’s pitch. He broke his bat, but he’s that strong to drive the ball to out in the middle of nowhere.”

Martinez, who retired his final 13 batters, joins seven other active pitchers with 2,000 strikeouts.

“Pedro didn’t have electric stuff, but he pitched real well,” Royals manager Tony Muser said. “He mixed his breaking ball and changeup and really hit good spots with his fastball. He pitched an outstanding game.”

Royals left-hander Chris George (0-1), recalled earlier in the day from Triple-A Omaha, matched Martinez for five innings, holding the Red Sox to two hits by Tony Clark.

But George ran into difficulty in the sixth, when Rickey Henderson and Johnny Damon opened the inning with singles. After George picked Henderson off second base, he yielded a single to Nomar Garciaparra and was replaced by Blake Stein.

Stein retired Manny Ramirez on a flyball before walking Clark to load the bases. Hillenbrand, who had a career-high 12-game hitting streak snapped Wednesday, cleared them with a triple off the right-center wall. Hillenbrand leads the AL with 20 RBIs.

The Red Sox loaded the bases on Clark’s double and walks to Hillenbrand and Trot Nixon in the second, but George wriggled out of trouble by retiring Rey Sanchez on an infield pop up.

Damon scored on rookie Nate Field’s wild pitch in the eighth inning. Damon, who was hit on the middle finger of his left hand while trying to bunt in the sixth, was taken for X-rays after the game.

Clark, who was in a 1-for-28 skid over the past seven games, went 2-for-3 with a walk.

Notes: Royals closer Roberto Hernandez, on the disabled list with a strained right elbow, threw 15 fastballs off the mound Friday. It was his first time to throw off the mound since April 7. He is scheduled to throw off the mound again Sunday. … Joe Randa (tightness in left hamstring and stiff lower back) and Chuck Knoblauch (sore legs) were held out of the Royals lineup for the second consecutive game. … Little said Saturday starter John Burkett would probably be on a 55-to-60 pitch limit. Burkett will be making his first start after beginning the season on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation.