Wakefield's Rib

The Red Sox have very little idea how Tim Wakefield suffered a stress fracture in one of his ribs. Terry Francona:

He thought he slept wrong originally, and he may have. When it turned into this, it's hard to tell. He could have done it sneezing. He doesn't remember one incident. ... He's actually been pitching with pain for a month to six weeks. The bone scan shows there's significant healing now, which is good. ... There's a chance we could have him back with us - best-case scenario - in three weeks. I think four weeks is probably more realistic.

And predictably, the questions are shouted throughout the Nation and sports radio: Is Wake is faking his injury? Why did all this talk of a bad back come out of the blue? Why does Wakefield need four weeks of vacation? ... Is that Tim McCarver quipping that the hardest thing for Tim to do is remember which side to sleep on? It's not? Oh, right, Wake's white, so the media doesn't spew shit about his physical ailments. Carry on.

It's only the second time in his 13-year career that Wakefield has gone on the DL (April 23-May 6, 1997, elbow inflammation). ... On Tuesday, Jason Varitek (in his 9th full season in Boston) set a Red Sox record by catching his 991st game, passing Carlton Fisk.

Making up the May 14 rainout yesterday meant the Rangers had a very busy Thursday. After playing Wednesday night in Toronto, they left their hotel at 8 AM and took off for Boston at 9:30. They arrived at Logan around 11:00 and drove to the park. After losing the 2 PM game, they headed back to the airport and flew to Chicago. If there was ever a time for greenies ...

The four times in team history the Sox have won back-to-back 1-0 games:

August 17-18, 1907  at Browns
June 22-23, 1916    vs Yankees and A's at Fenway
August 26-27, 1990  at Blue Jays
July 18-19, 2006    vs Royals at Fenway

More on the 1-0 wins: From Mark Teahan's second-inning single on Tuesday to Angel Berroa's double leading off the third on Wednesday, Jon Lester, Jonathan Papelbon and Josh Beckett recorded 29 outs without allowing a hit. ... Lester became the first Red Sox rookie to start a one-hitter since 1967, when Billy Rohr pitched 8.2 no-hit innings at Yankee Stadium on April 14, 1967, before allowing a single to Elston Howard. ... And Lester is the Sox's first rookie left-handed starter to win his first five decisions (righty rookie Aaron Sele won his first six decisions in 1993).