"We need to start doing it soon," Johnny Damon said, "or we won't have a chance this year."
Enter Tim Wakefield. Five days after he absorbed a nasty line drive behind his pitching shoulder that put his start in jeopardy, Wakefield reeled off one of his finest outings of the season, blanking the Birds for seven innings as he propelled the Sox toward a welcome 4-0 victory before 35,370 at Fenway Park.
"That's Tim Wakefield for you," catcher Doug Mirabelli said. "Barring a broken shoulder, he was going to take the ball, and to come out and throw like he did, that was huge."
The triumph provided urgent relief after the Sox dropped the opener, 8-3, in Double A lefthander Abe Alvarez's major league debut. With the team's situation teetering toward desperation, manager Terry Francona said, "We needed this like you can't believe."
Next up, the Yankees, for a showdown that Francona hoped would further boost the team's intensity.
"I think this weekend might be good for us, having a little added electricity here," Francona said. "We've played a lot of baseball. We've done a lot of traveling. I think it will be good."
Wakefield was plenty good, allowing only one Oriole, Brian Roberts, to reach third base over seven innings. All told, Wakefield scattered eight hits and walked none as he provided a fine role model for Alvarez, who early last year was pitching for Long Beach State before the Sox selected him in the second round of the June draft.
"I tried to battle through the game knowing our situation," Wakefield said. "Hopefully, this win will give us some momentum going into the Yankee series."
The knuckleballer improved to 6-6 with a 4.17 ERA as he spared the weary relief corps while pitching through his own physical adversity.
"That was awesome," Francona said. "I know he didn't feel that good. He really gutted up, not only by going out there but by the way he pitched."
