Game 35: Firing On All Cylinders

Final Score: Boston Red Sox 5, Detroit Tigers 0

You know what I love? A near-perfect game; a game where literally the only thing I can think to nitpick is one harmless error by Dustin Pedroia that did nothing except raise Wakefield's pitch count by a pitch or two. Let's gloat, shall we:

Tim Wakefield, showing classic knuckleball style on the mound. The floater looked devastating to try and hit, and it showed in the stat line, too: six strikeouts, two hits, no walks; all over the course of eight quick-running (a National League-worthy two hours and twenty-one minutes) innings and a paltry 98 pitches. So much of Wakefield's pitching ability for a night defines itself on the complex measures of atmospherics - it's the random element that makes him so exciting to watch - but even so, tonight was special, like the way he pitched during phenomenal start in 2007. Such works of art are to be enjoyed, but would it be greedy to ask for the creation of as many as possible? I think not.

An offense charge lead by J.D. Drew and continued source of hitting and catching delight Kevin Cash, who went three for four with the second of two RBI whacks that drove in three runs in the second inning. Then throw in the highlight of the run-scoring night: back to back long bombers by Papi and Manny, who celebrated career dinger number 497 in style by greeting the first pitch of reliever Freddy Dolsi with a blast that landed in the hedges on the center field wall. It makes for a wonderful baseball ending, doesn't it?