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TIM WAKEFIELD |
THE "IDIOTS" REVERSE THE CURSE
Wakefield's gem helps
the Sox continue to win
August 29, 2004 ... Thanks to a brilliant performance from Tim Wakefield in a 6-1 victory over the
Tigers at Fenway Park, the Sox were poised to cut the gap in the American League East to 4 1/2 games for the first time since June 23rd. Wakefield's masterwork (one run on three hits over eight innings) helped them win their sixth straight game, their 12th in 13 tries, and their 24th in 33 games since Bill Mueller's walkoff
homer beat Mariano Rivera and the Yankees July 24th in the Fens.
With the knuckleballer surrendering only a solo homer to Craig Monroe (just three weeks after he matched a post-1900 record by allowing six homers in a game in Detroit), the Sox capped their first four-game sweep of the season and equaled their longest winning streak of the year.
The Sox outscored the Tigers in the series, 20-6. That's right, they allowed six runs over four games to a team that has scored more runs this year (678) than the Angels (677). The Tigers hit only .176 in the series, with Wakefield becoming the fourth Sox starter in the series to work at
least seven innings.
As dandy as the Sox' pitching was - Curtis Leskanic followed Wakefield's lead and pitched a perfect ninth - the offense was good enough to withstand a strong challenge from former Boston farmhand Wilfredo Ledezma. The lefthander dominated the Sox for 4 2/3 innings before Kapler's
rally-igniting single.
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GABE KAPLER |
The Sox are 21-2 this season when Johnny Damon scores two or more runs in a game. So it was a promising sign for the Sox when Damon followed Kapler's single by drawing a walk off Ledezma before Mark Bellhorn reached on an infield hit to load the bases for Manny Ramirez. Back from a one-game
absence because of a knee injury, Ramirez promptly whistled a two-run single to right-center to give Wakefield all the runs he needed. David Ortiz, who seems to have developed a habit of matching Ramirez's feats at the plate, then rifled an RBI single, sending Ledezma to the showers.
Gabe Kapler (2 for 4 with a run and a stolen base) has hit .331 over his last 32 starts to improve his average to .275 from .239. The Sox are 70-37 when Kapler has played. Kevin Millar (2 for 3 with an RBI) broke out of a 3-for-30 slump after he hit .437 with eight homers and 28 RBIs
in his previous 26 games |
