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TIM WAKEFIELD |
THE "IDIOTS" REVERSE THE CURSE
The Sox wait out the Blue Jays to win
May 23, 2004 ... It was
that kind of day in the Fens. A feel-good day when Senator John Kerry, happily ensconced in a box seat near the visitors on-deck circle, could cheer from start to finish as Francona's crew cakewalked past the Blue Jays, 7-2, to complete a weekend sweep and secure its hold on first place in the American League East.
David Ortiz and his mates savored the victory. Not that it posed a problem since the Sox had plenty to be thankful for, from Ortiz's thunder to Tim Wakefield's knuckler.
In fact, the weary Wakefield, whose eyes were a bit glassy, was happy just to head home to his wife and newborn son after submitting yet another solid start. While Kerry carried the burden of trying to lead a nation, the knuckleballer faced the prospect of another round
of late-night diaper duty. He helped out the Sox just fine by limiting the Jays to two runs on seven hits and walk while throwing only 89 pitches over seven innings. Pre-fatherhood, Wakefield might have pitched the eighth, but he acknowledged he was too tired to go on without putting the
team at risk. Francona, a father of four, could understand, although he seemed tickled that Wakefield has gone 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in two starts since his son was born.
Wakefield's counterpart, Toronto starter Miguel Batista, wished he could take back a lot of his afternoon's work. With Batista struggling to find the strike zone (he walked six while throwing 94 pitches over only three innings), the Sox teed off on him for an early 6-0
lead. The damage could have been far worse, since the Sox left the bases loaded in the first and second innings.
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DAVID ORTIZ |
In a trip with serious implications for the Red Sox, third baseman Bill Mueller flew to Phoenix yesterday to seek a second opinion on his injured right knee. The reigning American League batting champion has missed seven of the last nine games and could be sidelined
considerably longer depending on the outcome.
Tim Wakefield earned his 50th career win at Fenway and posted his 106th win overall for the Sox, tying him with Joe Dobson for seventh on the team's all-time list. Bob Stanley ranks sixth with 115 wins. Wakefield also made his 228th start, tying him with Bill
Monbouquette for fifth on the franchise list. Mel Parnell ranks fourth with 232 starts.
Johnny Damon reached safely to lead off a game for the fifth straight time and for the sixth time in seven games. He has a .515 on-base percentage over his last seven games.
Righthander Jason Shiell, who went 2-0 with a 4.63 ERA in 17 games last year for the Sox, underwent Tommy John tendon transplant surgery and will be lost for the season.
Sox Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski was on hand for the game. The Sox marked Vermont Day with pregame ceremonies. |
