PETCO FIELD

A POWERFUL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
The Padres jump on Tim Wakefield

June 23, 2007 ... Somehow, on a night when Josh Bard and Khalil Greene (twice) blasted Tim Wakefield offerings out of the ballpark, prompting center-field fireworks that befitted a ball leaving a yard this big, it was Brian Knight who found himself as the most noticed man in Petco Park. Knight, the third base umpire, missed two calls and then for his encore tossed Red Sox manager Terry Francona for arguing the reversal of the second ruling.

Knight slipped up in the fifth and sixth innings, first calling a ball clearly trapped by Manny Ramirez a catch, then calling a home run off the bat of Bard a foul ball. Though replays showed Knight was wrong each time, and the umpires convened and got each call correct, he certainly didn't engender any sympathy from a peeved Francona, ejected for the second time this season.

However, it was Wakefield's knuckleballs, three of which left the park to left field, including back to back in the sixth, that provided the margin in a 6-1 loss to the Padres in front of a crowd of 44,457 Red Sox and Padres fans that were united only in booing Doug Mirabelli for striking out, which he did twice.

Though David Ortiz smiled during batting practice, hitting pitch after pitch into the far reaches of Petco, his show of power had more to do with the metal bat he was using that any thoughts of conquering the outfield fences. Yet that distance didn't seem to bother the Padres, with Greene pushing the score to 2-0 on an 0-and-2 pitch that he deposited into the first tier of seats in left. That was followed by Kevin Kouzmanoff's single, the one changed from an out when Knight consulted his colleagues on the non-catch by Ramirez.

But what followed were the true fireworks. With Mike Cameron having doubled, former Sox catcher Bard smoked a pitch off the yellow foul pole. The ball ricocheted back into the playing field, a sure sign it was fair. Knight, however, called it foul. But not for long. Arguments came from the Padres, and another meeting was assembled. Again, the call was reversed, giving Bard a two-run homer and Francona a chance to get himself ejected. (And seemingly become unhappier one batter later when Greene hit his second homer of the night, prompting Wakefield's exit.)

So, while Wakefield's knuckleball was fooling few, Padres starter Chris Young was fooling all. Young pitched seven innings and struck out 11 while allowing a single hit, only the fourth time he has struck out double digits in his career. Masterful, though hardly efficient, ending his evening with 110 pitches, Young demonstrated the benefits that a 6-foot-10-inch frame - and an appeal on his suspension last week that allowed him to pitch - can provide.

Before the game, Francona had said he wanted to make sure his 3-4-5 spots in the order remained strong, even with Kevin Youkilis and Jason Varitek on the bench at the start, so he hit J.D. Drew fifth instead of his new leadoff spot. But there was nothing Francona could do about the bottom of the order, a current black hole of hitting.

Not exactly the players a manager wants to see at bat with two on and no outs in the fifth inning, in what would be the Sox' best chance of the evening. Wakefield, a former infielder, clearly isn't the best offensive option among himself, No. 7 batter Mirabelli (.194), and No. 8 Julio Lugo (.198). And he struck out swinging as easily as they did, giving Young his eighth, ninth, and 10th strikeouts.

But with Lugo hitless in his last 21 at-bats before that chance, and Mirabelli in a 6-for-48 dive, neither was a good choice with no outs and two men on base.

And predictably, no one scored for the Sox in that situation, or in any other until a single run in the ninth.

Somehow, on a night when Josh Bard and Khalil Greene (twice) blasted Tim Wakefield offerings out of the ballpark, prompting center-field fireworks that befitted a ball leaving a yard this big, it was Brian Knight who found himself as the most noticed - and most derided - man in Petco Park. Knight, the third base umpire, missed two calls and then for his encore tossed Red Sox manager Terry Francona for arguing the reversal of the second ruling.

Knight slipped up in the fifth and sixth innings, first calling a ball clearly trapped by Manny Ramirez a catch, then calling a home run off the bat of Bard a foul ball. Though replays showed Knight was wrong each time, and the umpires convened and got each call correct, he certainly didn't engender any sympathy from a peeved Francona, ejected for the second time this season.

However, it was Wakefield's knuckleballs - three of which left the park to left field, including back to back in the sixth - that provided the margin in a 6-1 loss to the Padres in front of a crowd of 44,457 Red Sox and Padres fans that were united only in booing Doug Mirabelli for striking out, which he did twice.

Though David Ortiz smiled during batting practice, hitting pitch after pitch into the far reaches of Petco, his show of power had more to do with the metal bat he was using that any thoughts of conquering the outfield fences. Yet that distance didn't seem to bother the Padres, with Greene pushing the score to 2-0 on an 0-and-2 pitch that he deposited into the first tier of seats in left. That was followed by Kevin Kouzmanoff's single, the one changed from an out when Knight consulted his colleagues on the non-catch by Ramirez.

But what followed were the true fireworks - and not just the sparklers blasting out of the black backdrop in center. With Mike Cameron having doubled, former Sox catcher Bard smoked a pitch off the yellow foul pole. The ball ricocheted back into the playing field, a sure sign it was fair.

Knight, however, called it foul. But not for long. Arguments came from the Padres, and another meeting was assembled. Again, the call was reversed, giving Bard a two-run homer and Francona a chance to get himself ejected. (And seemingly become unhappier one batter later when Greene hit his second homer of the night, prompting Wakefield's exit.)

So, while Wakefield's knuckleball was fooling few, Padres starter Chris Young was fooling all. Young pitched seven innings and struck out 11 while allowing a single hit, only the fourth time he has struck out double digits in his career. Masterful, though hardly efficient, ending his evening with 110 pitches, Young demonstrated the benefits that a 6-foot-10-inch frame - and an appeal on his suspension last week that allowed him to pitch - can provide.

Before the game, Francona had said he wanted to make sure his 3-4-5 spots in the order remained strong, even with Kevin Youkilis and Jason Varitek on the bench at the start, so he hit J.D. Drew fifth instead of his new leadoff spot.

But there was nothing Francona could do about the bottom of the order, a current black hole of hitting. Not exactly the players a manager wants to see at bat with two on and no outs in the fifth inning, in what would be the Sox' best chance of the evening. Wakefield, a former infielder, clearly isn't the best offensive option among himself, No. 7 batter Mirabelli (.194), and No. 8 Julio Lugo (.198). And he struck out swinging as easily as they did, giving Young his eighth, ninth, and 10th strikeouts.

But with Lugo hitless in his last 21 at-bats before that chance, and Mirabelli in a 6-for-48 dive, neither was a good choice with no outs and two men on base. And predictably, no one scored for the Sox in that situation, or in any other until a single run in the ninth.

Though Curt Schilling declined to speak to reporters, he did have a lengthy conversation with manager Terry Francona and pitching coach John Farrell, as well as the team's strength and conditioning coach and medical staff, in an attempt to determine how to handle the pitcher's right shoulder tendonitis. Schilling was added to the 15-day disabled list Friday, retroactive to June 19, with Kason Gabbard expected to take the two starts Schilling will miss, though Gabbard has not officially been named Tuesday's starter. Francona said Schilling's progression would be up to the medical staff, but a timetable has not yet been determined.

Both Mike Lowell (strained ligament in his left thumb) and J.D. Drew (tightness in his right quadriceps) were back in the lineup, Lowell in his usual No. 6 spot in the order and Drew dropped from leadoff to fifth.

Brendan Donnelly, on the 15-day DL with a strained right forearm, played long toss before the game with Farrell. He'll rest today and throw again tomorrow. He is eligible to come off the DL while the team is in Seattle.