G84: Red Sox 5, Athletics 4

Athletics - 010 000 201 - 4 13  0
Red Sox   - 000 004 10x - 5  7  1

It took awhile, but the Red Sox finally stole Cahill's lunch money and gave Wakefield (6-10-3-1-8, 100) his 175th career Boston win. Only one of the three runs was earned and the eight punchouts was a season-high.

Wakefield trailed 1-0 because of three Oakland hits to start the second inning. He allowed a bunch of hits in his outing, but his knuckleball was also moving like I've rarely seen it move before. It darted in towards hitters' heads, it suddenly swerved sideways (both left and right), it dropped straight down. NESN had a great shot of Orlando Cabrera shaking his head in disbelief in the dugout, demonstrating for a coach how Wake's pitches were defying the laws of physics.

J.D. Drew tied the game at 1-1 with a home run to begin the sixth. Dustin Pedroia singled and Kevin Youkilis walked. It was clear that Cahill -- at 92 pitches -- was cooked, but Oakland manager Bob Geren stayed with him. Big mistake. David Ortiz crushed a 2-1 pitch to deep right field for a three-run dong -- and a 4-1 lead. Boston got an insurance run in the seventh when Drew walked, Pedroia doubled and Ortiz had an RBI groundout. Tiz ended the night with four RBI.

Bot began the ninth by walking Adam Kennedy and surrendering a single to Orlando Cabrera. Scott Hairston's fly ball to left-center -- which both Don Orsillo and Dennis Eckerlsey thought was leaving the park -- was pushed back by the wind and was only a sac fly to Jacoby Ellsbury on the track. Papelbon fanned Matt Holliday for the second out, but Kurt Suzuki singled to move the tying run to second. Bot struck out Jack Cust to end the game.

FY went 3-for-4 with two doubles, Yook and Bay each walked twice, and Ellsbury and Mark Kotsay each singled and stole a base.

***

Trevor Cahill (4.55, 90 ERA+) / Tim Wakefield (4.30, 108 ERA+)

We face yet another rookie tonight.

Cahill has made 17 starts: 93 innings, 96 hits, 38 walks, 45 strikeouts. Inflated WHIP, poor K/BB ratio, opponents line of .267/.338/.493, and left-handed hitters slap him around to the tune of a .997 OPS.

BP 2009 compares him to Brett Anderson:

Although Cahill is right-handed, like Anderson he's not overpowering, but is hardly a soft-tosser, effectively mixing a low-90s sinker, outstanding curveball, and solid change, with good command and control of all three.

In 11 starts from May 2 to June 22, Cahill posted a 3.15 ERA, with opponents hitting .248/.296/.432. In each of his last two starts, however, he has lasted only 3.2 innings.

Tidbits from MLB's John Barone:

Boston has reached the 50-win mark before the All-Star break in four straight seasons. ... Pitchers Josh Beckett and Jon Lester are the first pair of Sox hurlers to rack up at least 100 strikeouts before the break since Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling in 2004.

Hoo-Kay: With his home run, double and two steals, Jason Bay became the first Red Sox left fielder with two extra-base hits and two stolen bases in the same game since Tommy Harper (September 19, 1973, against the Yankees).

Mark Kotsay's right calf is "feeling better". ... Adam Kilgore notes that John Smoltz's BABIP in his three starts is a whopping .370. ... Kevin Youkilis is in a 2-for-26 slump and is hitting only .207 since June 1.