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Wakefield looks to continue dome success against Blue Jays

May 10, 2007 - 2:45 PM Boston (22-10) at Toronto (13-20) 7:07 pm EDT

TORONTO (Ticker) -- Tim Wakefield has always loved pitching in domed stadiums. He'll get another chance Thursday when the Boston Red Sox visit the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays play in the retractable-roof Rogers Centre, and if they hope to have a chance against the red-hot knuckleballer, they would be wise to keep the roof open.

Wakefield (3-3, 2.11 ERA) dominated the Minnesota Twins in his last outing, yielding just three hits in seven strong innings to pick up the win last Friday, 2-0. He owns a career 30-15 mark with a 3.93 ERA on turf.

"I don't know what it is about pitching in a dome, but there's a little more movement on the ball," Wakefield said after the win over the Twins. "I can't explain it."

The 40-year-old righthander has faced Toronto twice already this season, earning a win April 18 here with seven innings of one-run ball. Wakefield has yet to allow more than three earned runs in a start this season, and has surrendered one run or less in four of his six starts.

The Blue Jays will counter with perennial Cy Young Award candidate Roy Halladay (4-1, 3.59). The righthander, who turns 30 on May 14, has faced Boston twice this season, and has yet to earn a win.

Halladay suffered through his worst outing in seven years Saturday at Texas, yielding nine earned runs in 5 1/3 innings to take the loss. The last time the 2003 Cy Young winner pitched that poorly was April 25, 2000 at Oakland, when he allowed nine runs in four innings.

Boston has won the first two games of the series by a combined score of 18-5.

Toronto has lost eight straight games.