Wake Up Call by Jared Carrabis
Blue Jays get reminder that they're still the Blue Jays


Dorothy said it best, there's no place like home.

After wrapping up their final road trip out on the west coast on Sunday, the Red Sox opened up a six-game home stand on the one-year anniversary of Jon Lester's no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals. With a win on Tuesday, the Red Sox could improved to 14-4 at Fenway Park, but this would be no easy task, as the Sox welcomed the Toronto Blue Jays to the Fens. The Jays were winners of their last four games entering the first game of this series and sat atop the American League East, a division that they were not expected to contend in, with the like of the Red Sox, Yankees and Rays roaming within the same division.

Player A has a 5-2 record in 2009 and will make $20 million this season, $21 million in 2010, $22.5 million in 2011, $24 million in 2012, $25.5 million in 2013 and has a club option for $25 million in 2015 with a $5.5 million buyout. Player A's club option becomes a player option if Player A wins the Cy Young award and finishes in the top three in any year after that.

Player B just signed a 4-year, $60 million deal this past offseason. Player B will be pitching for $15 million annually for the next four seasons and is currently has a 5-2 record.

Player C is 5-2 as well. He is owed $12 million in 2009 and another $12 million in 2010. This left-handed pitcher also had a $4 million signing bonus included in his 4-year, $40 million deal.

Player D is, you guessed it, 5-2 in 2009. This right-hander has never made more than $4.64 million in a season in his entire big league career. Since 2006, Player D has been paid $4 million with recurring club options that have been exercised all the way until the present season.

Player A is Johan Santana, Player B is Derek Lowe, Player C is Ted Lilly and Player D is our very own, Tim Wakefield. One of the best, if not the best, bargains in baseball has proven his worth once again on Tuesday night in yet another masterful performance. In eight starts this season, Wakefield has provided the Red Sox with six innings or more in six out of those eight starts, including a complete game victory in Oakland.

The 42-year-old logged eight innings on Tuesday night against the division-leading Toronto Blue Jays, giving up one earned run on five hits. The lone mistake for Wakefield was a fifth inning home run off the bat of former World Series Champion first baseman for the Red Sox, Kevin Millar. The home run for Millar was his fourth off of Wakefield in the past 29 at bats the two had met. Wakefield tossed 97 pitches (61 for strikes), walked two and struck out three.

The victory for Wakefield was his 163rd in a Red Sox uniform and moved him within 23 wins of Roger Clemens and Cy Young for most wins in Red Sox history. Wakefield is having a phenomenal season, with the exception of being 0-2 to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the knuckleballer is 5-0 against the remainder of his opponents and has won three of his last four starts. After his eight-inning effort on Tuesday, Wakefield logged his 17th victory against the Toronto Blue Jays in his career. His 17 wins against Toronto ranks fourth all-time against the Jays.

The Red Sox plated both of their two runs in the bottom of the second inning. Knowing that his start on Tuesday will be his last for quite some time with the return of Kevin Youkilis set to come on Wednesday, Jeff Bailey knocked a base hit into center field to score Mike Lowell from second base. In the very next at bat, George Kottaras drove in Boston's second run on a sacrifice fly to left field.

The two runs weren't a lot, but they were all Boston would need thanks to another brilliant performance by Tim Wakefield. Jonathan Papelbon emerged from the bullpen in the top of the ninth inning looking for save number eleven. Although his numbers prove otherwise, Papelbon has been shaky in his appearances so far in 2009. He has yet to blow a save, but the Boston closer has allowed base runners in 13 of his 17 appearances. However, after not throwing one pitch out of the strike zone until his third batter faced in Tuesday night's win, Papelbon retired all three Blue Jays that he faced en route to wrapping up his eleventh save of the season.

Things you'll need to know to impress your friends:

Jonathan Papelbon is 11-for-11 in save opportunities in 2009 and is 16-for-his-last-16 dating back to September 13, 2008. Pap's ERA continues to drop, as he nears a sub-one ERA (1.00) with 20 K's in 18 innings pitched.

The Red Sox are 17-0 when leading after six innings and their 14-4 record at Fenway Park is the best in the American League.

Jacoby Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to 14 games on Tuesday after going 2-for-4 with his seventh double of the season. Ellsbury is 23-for-65 (.354) with 4 doubles over the course of his 14-game rampage of the American League.

David Ortiz's struggles continued on Tuesday. Manager Terry Francona elected to return the designated to his usual third slot in the lineup, and as a result, the left-hander went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. Ortiz is now 1-for-his-last-17, as his average continues to free fall down to .203 where it sits after Tuesday's win. In the month of May, Ortiz is hitting .163 with 8 strikeouts in 43 at bats.

Brad Penny gets the ball on Wednesday night against Brett Cecil. Cecil has never faced the Boston Red Sox, but is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in his rookie season, while Penny will be looking to increase his 2-0 record at Fenway Park. Penny has provided his team with at least six innings in three of his last four outings, which has helped increase his trade value if the Sox decide to move him to make room for the return of Daisuke Matsuzaka and John Smoltz's Red Sox debut.

-Jared Carrabis

Final Score: Blue Jays 1, Red Sox 2

Published on May 19, 2009

---