Red Sox - 030 000 200 - 5 11 1Wakefield (8-2-0-0-6, 97) was fantastic, allowing only 3 of 27 batters to reach base, retiring 17 in a row at one point.
Tigers - 000 000 000 - 0 3 0
Boston struck early for three in the second -- Lowell walk, Youkilis double, Drew single, Cash double, and a Crisp groundout. In the seventh, Ortiz and Ramirez hit back to back home runs. #497 for Manny.
***
Tim Wakefield (4.03, 108 ERA+) / Nate Robertson (6.82, 61 ERA+)
3.5 GA!
I'm at this game, so the game thread will be at ThreadSox.
Cardboard sign carried by a Red Sox fan last night: "1984"
15 comments:
Still don't like Wakefield games. This changes nothing.
More dirty water! And what an incredible outing by Wakefield! You guys must have loved watching the knuckleball.
What a great game. Wakefield's value to this team is incalculable, and when he's got it, he's really got it.
Glad you got to see this one. It must've been gorgeous live.
What? I don't get that comment at all, Andy. That was the best game by a Sox pitcher this season against a good hitting team; it saved the bullpen; it was a win. The guy is grossly underpaid, eats up innings, is capable on a good day of shutting down anybody, and wins 12-17 games per season like clockwork while never causing any trouble off the field and seldom missing a start. He's easily one of the most the most entertaining pitchers the Sox have ever had, and he's unique. What's not to like? I don't know what more Wakefield has to do to win over anti-knuckleball bigots.
I miss lurking the soxblog game threads--nice to be in Dee-troit!
Did I say 'soxblog'? Brain cramp, sorry. I know who you are, who I am, and, wow, just everything, sort of....
I loved watching Wakefield succeed! Isn't it ironic that our knuckleballer walked NO ONE, and our supposed finesse pitcher walked 8?
Interesting stat for you all...
Kevin Cash is batting .361 (4 RBI, .429 OBP)
Did we ever see the Stud bat .361? Even this early in the season? Don't think so.
Somebody should remind JOBA that there is no crying in baseball.
I am not blinded by the good game. I know there will be just as many if not more bad games. He gets the decision so much because he eats up innings.
Would I trade him or release him? No. He is a staple of this team. He is why Varitek gets days off. He is a good guy. He is just boring for me to watch and a lot of the time nerve racking. That is all.
My 12 yo son got an autographed Wakefield baseball for his birthday this year and says Wake's success is on account of him tapping the ball before game time. :) Who says players have all the superstitions.
LOL.
BTW--interesting article in Sunday's Boston Globe magazine on Charlie Zink, the Pawsox knuckleballer.
online here
Hear, hear Jack (and others). It may a bit of an overused cliche, but Wakefield has given his all for this team and is still a phenomally entertaining pitcher to watch.
More on Knuckleball Bigotry: The Globe sends an e-summary of each Sox game that includes grades for the pitching and offense, determined by a Scouting Agency. Wake's game ranked an A MINUS! What the heck would be an A to these people? A complete game, when Francona decided to pull him so Timlin could lower his ERA? Are 2 hits excessive---what, you need a no-hitter? Then what's an A PLUS? I'd say Wakefield was better than Gavin Floyd last night, and he almost did pitch a no-hitter---but he gave up a run!
What then? Not enough strike-outs? What difference does it make how the outs were made? Too many walks? Oh yeah, there weren't any. Too many pitches? He was under 100 through 8---he was where Dice-K is after about four innings.
No respect. I have a suggested nick-name for Wakefield.
"Rodney"
Great to see Wakefield pitch such a clean game.
On the other hand, though...was it just me, or did Detroit look completely lifeless the whole time? It didn't even feel like a game at all. I think if I were a Detroit fan, I'd be furious after watching the last couple of nights...
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