Red Sox, Wakefield cash in

For Cash, it was something of a homecoming: He grew up in the Tampa suburb of Lutz, and was a member of the Tampa Northside team that advanced to the 1989 Little League World Series. There were 18 family members and friends in the house, and there had to be some squirming in the first inning, when three of the first four pitches from Wakefield bounced off Cash's mitt, and another got away for a passed ball, allowing leadoff man Akinori Iwamura to advance to third.

"No fun," Cash said. "After the first inning, I would be lying if I said I wasn't rattled. But I shook it off, the guy didn't score from third, so I came in smiling, made some jokes, and tried to relax."

If Cash was worse for the experience, it didn't show. He wasn't charged with another passed ball the rest of the night, and he threw out a runner attempting to steal.

And if the Sox were worse for the experience, it didn't show, either. With Wakefield throwing another seven shutout innings, on top of the eight he spun against the Devil Rays last Monday night in Fenway Park, the Sox cruised to a 6-0 win before a modest gathering of 16,843 at Tropicana Field. This is the place that now hosts the Ted Williams Hitters Hall of Fame but should consider opening a wing for Wakefield, who is undefeated in nine career decisions under the bubble roof, and is now 19-2 lifetime against the Devil Rays.

Only one other pitcher, Houston's Roy Oswalt, has a higher winning percentage against a single opponent (minimum 20 starts). Oswalt is 19-1 against the Cincinnati Reds.

"I don't know, I don't care, I'm just happy it's that way," said Wakefield, who is now 15-10 this season, with four wins coming against the D-Rays.

But on this night, when he allowed just four hits in seven innings, even though his back stiffened after the fifth, Wakefield and manager Terry Francona both spotlighted the role played by Cash.