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Wakefield's knuckler baffles Blue Jays in Red Sox win

Apr 19, 2007 - 4:26 AM TORONTO (Ticker) -- Tim Wakefield is missing a lot of bats with his floating knuckleball so far this season.

Wakefield (2-1) yielded just one earned run for the third straight start and David Ortiz, Mike Lowell and Doug Mirabelli homered as the Boston Red Sox posted a 4-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Wakefield held the powerful Blue Jays lineup to just four hits while striking out four in seven innings to pick up his second straight win. The veteran knuckleballer has allowed just three earned runs in three starts in 2007, lowering his ERA to 1.35.

"I thought he was tremendous," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "You could see by the amount of balls that were going past Wakefield how much it was moving. He was in the strike zone, but it was bouncing all over the place and he was getting some awkward swings. We didn't have a lot going on, but because of the way he pitched it allowed us some time to go ahead and get some runs."

"I'm very pleased," Wakefield said. "I always love pitching (in Toronto). It's probably the best mound in the American League and pitching inside is always a big plus for me."

After being stymied by Blue Jays' starter Tomo Ohka for the first 4 2/3 innings, the Red Sox bats came to life. Lowell snapped the no-hit bid with his first homer of the season.

Wakefield 's battery mate, Mirabelli, led off the sixth with his second homer of the season and drove in Boston's fourth run in the seventh with an RBI single.

"His knuckleball was unbelievable tonight," Mirabelli said. "It's been like that every start this year. When he throws his knuckleball that well it's hard to hit. You've got major league hitters out there swinging and missing and popping up balls. It shows you how much that balls moving."

"Doug did such a great job, not only defensively but offensively," Wakefield added. "It's nice to have him behind the plate."

In between, Ortiz hit his team-leading fifth homer starting off the seventh. It was his 178th homer as a member of the Red Sox, tying him with Nomar Garciaparra for 10th in franchise history.

"(Ohka) was hitting the spots pretty good at the beginning of the game," Ortiz said. "The one homer that I hit, the catcher (Gregg Zaun) asked for the pitch outside and he threw it right there."

Closer Jonathan Papelbon gave up his first hit of the season and walked a batter in the ninth frame, but struck out three to escape the jam and earn his third save.

"Wakefield was awful tough, and then you bring in Papelbon after that and it looks like he's throwing 120 mph," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "I thought Ohka pitched great too, but Wakefield was dominating."

Ohka took the loss despite allowing just four hits in 6 2/3 innings. The veteran Japanese righthander came up through the Red Sox farm system before being traded to Montreal at the 2001 trade deadline. He was making his first start against his former team.

"I'm not happy. I made a couple of mistakes," Ohka said. "I was not excited (to face my former team). I was just doing my job."

With the game scoreless in the fourth inning the Blue Jays loaded the bases, but Wakefield struck out Jason Phillips to end the threat.

"We just couldn't get anything going," Phillips said. "(Wakefield) got himself into trouble that one inning where he threw a lot of balls and wasn't even close to the strike zone. Then I come up and he's Cy Young again. That was our one chance and I didn't get anybody in."