Wakefield Shuts Down Cubs

ESPN:

It wasn't the Green Monster looming over left field or the Pesky Pole in right that turned out to be the toughest adjustment for the Chicago Cubs in their first visit to Fenway Park since the 1918 World Series.

It was Tim Wakefield's knuckleball.The 44-year-old Red Sox right-hander held Chicago to four hits in 6 2/3 innings to help Boston beat the Cubs 5-1 on Sunday and send them home from with another lost series. It was Wakefield's first win of the season and the 180th of his Red Sox career -- third on the franchise all-time list behind only Roger Clemens and Cy Young.

"Boy, he was really good," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "I guess it shouldn't amaze me because he's been doing that for such a long time."Making his third start of the season, this one because of injuries to John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka, Wakefield (1-1) had faced the minimum number of batters when he struck out Jeff Baker with what would have been the third out of the fifth inning.

Baker reached safely when the ball got past catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia. That was just the third baserunner in the first six innings against Wakefield.

"When you're asked to do a job and you do it well -- I take a lot of pride in that," said Wakefield, who needs 12 more wins to tie Clemens and Young at 192 in a Boston uniform.

It is always cool when the knuckleball is working.  The announcers on ESPN mentioned that Wakefield, at 44, has his contract renewed annually.  If he gets on a couple of hot streaks over the next couple of years, he might be able to break the team record for all-time wins