JournalGazette.net
BOSTON – Tim Wakefield went from his shortest start in 15 years to one of his best of the season. The Boston Red Sox showed they can bounce back from disappointment, too.
Wakefield pitched eight innings of shutout ball to help the Red Sox stop their AL East slide with a 7-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night. Six days after lasting just 1 2/3 innings against Texas, the 42-year-old knuckleballer gave up just three hits and retired his last 13 batters before Manny Delcarmen got the last three outs.
“Getting through eight was a huge swing from last time,” Wakefield said. “It’s always nice to go out in the ninth and try, but I thought the smart thing was to stop it there. … Shutouts are nice, but the most important thing is to win the game.”
Kevin Cash hit a three-run homer, and David Ortiz and Jed Lowrie each drove in a pair of runs as the Red Sox moved to within two games of Tampa Bay in the AL East.
Toronto lost for just the second time in 13 games, unable to muster anything against Wakefield (9-10).
The Red Sox took a six-game lead in the AL wild-card race over Minnesota.
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