" Pedro Martinez's father Pablo died in the Dominican Republic yesterday, succumbing after a long battle with brain cancer. He was 79.

After hearing the news, the pitcher left Shea Stadium to take a charter flight to be with his family.

"We are really, really sorry for Pedro, it's a sad day for him," manager Jerry Manuel said. "He came up, I think it was the seventh inning. I didn't have the chance to embrace him or anything like that. It's a sad day for him, I'm sure. We've all at some point or another felt the sting of death close. Our prayers will be with him."

Martinez - who will miss tomorrow's scheduled start in the series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals - had flown back and forth to the Dominican this spring and summer to be with his ailing father, his latest trip was during the All-Star break.

Martinez's Mets teammates got little chance to offer their condolences. When asked if he had seen Martinez, shortstop Jose Reyes just shook his head no and said softly "It's terrible."

Martinez, 3-2 with a 6.25 ERA in nine starts this year, had been in high spirits earlier in the afternoon. The 36-year-old right-hander had been forced out of his last start on July 12 after pitching just four innings with a sore shoulder and injured his right groin. But after a cortisone shot, he threw a 56-pitch bullpen session Tuesday and said yesterday he felt fine.

"I feel good. I'm going to talk to them and tell them I'm fine. I'm OK to pitch," Martinez said before hearing the news of his father's death. "Whenever they give me the ball, I'm ready to go." "