Boston Red Sox win game 9 of season, 8 - 2 versus Oakland Athletics
Tim Wakefield pitches no hitter into 8th inning and gets complete game win.
Tim Wakefield took a no-hitter into the eighth inning on a day when the Red Sox desperately needed a strong start from their 42-year-old knuckleballer and finished with a four-hitter Wednesday in Boston’s slump-snapping 8-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics.
So that was fun, huh?
If you're just joining us, Tim Wakefield gave everything he had and more in an effort to rest a depleted bullpen today. After some poor starting pitching on this trip, Wake stepped up with a gem: he was 5 outs away from finishing the game before he gave up his first hit. The end result was a complete game 4-hitter. The knuckler was dancing, Kottaras was solid in catching it, and Wake got some strong defense behind him in support (aside from Lowell's rare error in the 6th).
“I understand the circumstances of today. No matter what, don't take me out.”
— Tim Wakefield
" No Matter What, Don't Take Me Out"
Tim Wakefield, to manager Terry Francona a few hours before Wednesday afternoon's game:
I understand the circumstances of today. No matter what, don't take me out.
After seven innings in Oakland, Tim Wakefield had thrown a mere 67 pitches, 50 of them for strikes. He was five outs away from being the second-oldest pitcher in baseball history to throw a no-hitter.
5:49: Red Sox win, 8-2. Wakefield pitches a complete game. I really hope a start like this will quiet some of the anti-Wake people. I've heard people talk about how he should take his softball pitch and go home, how the knuckleball just isn't a major league pitch, how they've "tired of his routine," etc. Do they know he has more wins for the Red Sox than everybody except Roger Clemens and Cy Young?
When In Doubt, There's Always Tim Wakefield
Somewhere out there in the din of neon lights and honking horns, Doug Mirabelli is smiling for his former comrade in arms. The performance Tim Wakefield put on Wednesday afternoon is another brilliant piece of his Red Sox career being neatly placed into an almost finished puzzle. You can’t say enough about this guy.