ESPN

The Red Sox have announced plans to continue their celebration of Fenway Park's 100th season with special events to honor Tim Wakefield, Tom Brunansky and Trot Nixon before home games in May.

The team announced that May will be "Memorable Moments Month" as the Sox will commemorate some of Fenway's memorable moments and the players that made them happen during the 18 home games in May.

Brunansky will be honored on May 10 for his division-clinching catch in 1990 and Nixon will be recognized on May 28 for his walk-off home run against Oakland in the 2003 playoffs.

Additionally, the Sox will celebrate Wakefield's Red Sox career on May 15 with "Thanks, Wake Day."

Players including Fred Lynn, Jim Rice, Dennis Eckersley, Carlton Fisk, Dwight Evans and Luis Tiant will be saluted on dates to be announced.

The Sox also will host a throwback day this Wednesday, featuring the Red Sox and Oakland Athletics in their uniforms of 1936. That was the year that the A’s, then in Philadelphia, sold Jimmie Foxx to the Sox. Foxx won the Most Valuable Player award in 1938 and established the club’s single-season home run record that stood until David Ortiz surpassed it in 2006. Foxx’ daughter, Nanci Foxx Canaday, will attend the game.

For a look at ESPNBoston.com's top Fenway moments, click here, and to rank your favorite moments, click here.

On May 15 at Fenway Park, the Boston Red Sox plan to pay tribute to knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, who retired before the 2012 season. Here's the announcement from the team:

The Red Sox will honor Tim Wakefield May 15 with ‘Thanks, Wake Day' at Fenway Park. The club plays the Seattle Mariners at a special 4:05 p.m. starting time. A pregame ceremony tribute is expected to begin at approximately 3:30 p.m.

The right-handed knuckleball specialist, who won more games at Fenway Park than any pitcher in history, just completed a 19-year career in Major League Baseball, including 17 years with the Red Sox. He announced his retirement February 17, 2012, at the Red Sox’s new spring training site, JetBlue Park at Fenway South in Lee County, Florida.

Wakefield’s Red Sox reached postseason play nine times, and he was part of two momentous World Series Championships, in 2004 and 2007. His selflessness was pivotal in winning the 2004 ALCS against the New York Yankees.

A champion of charitable efforts in New England and his hometown of Melbourne, Florida, Wakefield was honored as the 2010 recipient of Major League Baseball’s Roberto Clemente Award. In 2011, the Boston chapter of the BBWAA announced the start of an annual Tim Wakefield Community Service Award in his honor.

Wakefield has been actively involved with “Pitching in for Kids,” a non-profit organization dedicated to providing grants to improve the lives of children across New England. He supports Melbourne’s Space Coast Early Intervention Center, a unique non-profit therapeutic pre-school program for children with special needs. He adopted the Center in 1992 when it was struggling financially and faced closure and has helped to raise over $10 million for the organization through his annual Tim Wakefield Celebrity Golf Classic and Memorabilia Auction. Over the last 13 years, his “Wakefield Warriors” program has enabled patients from the Franciscan Hospital for Children and the Jimmy Fund in Boston to visit with him and watch batting practice before all Tuesday home games at Fenway Park. He has also been an active participant of the Red Sox’s annual Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon and served as the organization’s Co-Captain in 2010 and 2011.

BOSTON -- Drenched in celebratory champagne and beer, Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield was almost brought to tears when asked what it felt like to record his 200th career victory.

He mentioned his family. His talked about his teammates. He thanked the fans.

The 45-year-old knuckleballer finally reached the milestone in an 18-6 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday night at Fenway Park. As the game was coming to an end in the top of the ninth inning with fresh call-up Junichi Tazawa on the mound, the 38,020 fans in attendance began to chant, “Wakefield, Wakefield, Wakefield.”

A few minutes after Wakefield was congratulated in the clubhouse, the pitcher returned to the field to acknowledge the fans with all of his teammates in the dugout looking on.

“I’m very grateful that it’s over with and it was able to happen here at Fenway Park in front of our home crowd,” Wakefield said. “I’m kind of speechless but I’m very grateful I’ve been able to wear this uniform for as long as I have and reach a milestone I thought I’d never reach. I’m very grateful.”

It took him eight tries to accomplish the feat, something he started to think wouldn’t happen.

“It did cross my mind after six or seven starts,” he said. “I kept telling myself the milestone doesn’t determine me as a person. I’m just thankful that it happened tonight and in front of our home crowd. It was very special.”

Red Sox manager Terry Francona, who is a baseball lifer, appreciates his pitcher’s accomplishments.

“The significance of the night is obviously very special,” Francona said. “It was kind of neat to see the way the guys responded to Wake in the clubhouse, and then how the fans responded to Wake on the field. That was appropriate and probably only in a place like Boston do you see something like that happen.”

Wakefield has worked with many catchers during his career and only a few could handle the fluttering pitch. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was behind the plate for the historic moment.

“I’m so happy for him and I’m proud of him,” Saltalamacchia said. “It’s an honor for me to go back there and catch him for his 200th win and to be a part of history. To see what he’s done in his career, and pitched as long as he’s pitched and to be able to finally get this, it makes you feel good and it gives you goosebumps. After we scored a few runs, I had goosebumps the rest of the game.

“We’ve all wanted it bad for him,” Saltalamacchia added. “For me personally, I wanted it more than him, probably because it was anxiety every time I went out there. I wanted to make sure I caught everything and make sure we didn’t give up any runs and we scored a bunch. So to be able to do that tonight really felt good. It’s now something we can move on and be happy for him.”

Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia helped Wakefield’s cause with four hits, including two home runs, two doubles and five RBIs.

“It was great,” Pedroia said. “We’ve been trying for a while and we gave him some run support and he settled in and did a great job. We’re all so proud of him. It’s pretty unbelievable what he’s been able to accomplish.”

Wakefield has said in the past that he wants to become the Red Sox’s all-time leader in wins. He now has 186 and trails only Roger Clemens and Cy Young, both of whom won 192 for Boston.

“That’s the next goal, but the most important thing right now is to do my work and get ready for my next start,” Wakefield said. “I’ll try to push us into the postseason. That was everyone’s goal in spring training, to make it to the postseason and win another World Series.”

As much as Wakefield’s milestone is significant, Boston’s victory to snap a five-game losing skid was equally as important.

“We needed to win and it was appropriate that it was Wake,” Francona said.

BOSTON -- It took him eight tries, but Red Sox veteran Tim Wakefield finally collected his 200th career victory with an 18-6 win over the Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday night at Fenway Park.

Wakefield worked six innings and allowed five runs on six hits (two home runs) with two walks and six strikeouts. He threw 96 pitches (62 strikes) and when he walked off the field after the top of the sixth inning, he was greeted with a standing ovation from the 38,020 fans in attendance. The crowd roared even louder when he came out of the dugout for a postgame interview.

The 45-year-old knuckleballer becomes the 108th pitcher in major league history, and the 89th modern-day player, to record 200 wins. At 45 years and 42 days, he's the second-oldest pitcher to reach the mark. Jack Quinn won his 200th at 46 years, 339 days in 1930.

His pursuit toward this milestone began on July 31, 1992 when he earned his first victory as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates and registered the win against the St. Louis Cardinals.

His 186 wins with the Red Sox is second all-time in franchise history behind Roger Clemens and Cy Young, both of whom won 192 for Boston.

Wakefield is first in Red Sox history in innings pitched (2,997) and games started (428). He also ranks second in strikeouts (2,037).

EXTENDED: Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury went 4-for-5, including a double, home run and a pair of singles to extend his current hitting streak to 17 games. He also set a career high for hits in a season with 190. He registered 188 hits in 2009.

BADA BING: After Ellsbury led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run, teammate Dustin Pedroia followed with a solo shot. It’s the 10th time this season the Red Sox have hit back-to-back home runs. It was Pedroia's 19th roundtripper of the season. He didn’t stop there. He crushed a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to give him five RBIs on the night, matching a career-high. He finished the night 4-for-5, including two doubles, two homers, a sacrifice fly and four runs scored. With his 25 stolen bases and 20 homers, Pedroia becomes the seventh player in Red Sox history to reach at least 20 in each category. It’s the eighth time in team history that has been accomplished.

DYNAMIC DUO: It’s the first time in team history that two players (Pedroia and Ellsbury) have reached the 20/20 plateau.

YOUK RETURNS: After missing three games because of a sore hip and sports hernia, Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis returned to the lineup Tuesday night. He batted fifth and in his first at-bat in the bottom of the first, Youkilis was drilled in the left knee by a pitch from Blue Jays starter Brandon Morrow. Youkilis remained in the game and finished the night 0-for-3. With the Red Sox holding a six-run lead in the top of the eighth inning, Youkilis was removed from the game and replaced by Mike Aviles.

SCOOTING: Red Sox shortstop Marco Scutaro provided an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh inning for his 1,000th career hit.

SCRATCHED: Designated hitter David Ortiz was a late scratch from the lineup because of back spasms. Ortiz was originally in the lineup as the cleanup hitter but was replaced by Jed Lowrie in the bottom of the first. Lowrie finished the night 0-for-4. Conor Jackson replaced him in the bottom of the eighth inning.

UP NEXT: The Red Sox sent right-hander John Lackey (12-12, 6.30 ERA) to the mound against Toronto lefty Ricky Romero (14-10, 3.01) Wednesday in a 1:35 matinee at Fenway Park. Lackey has a 5-7 career record against the Blue Jays, including a 5.58 ERA. He struggled his last outing against the Tampa Bay Rays and lasted only three innings and allowed five runs on five hits with three walks in a 7-2 loss last week.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Terry Francona tweaked the club’s upcoming rotation and will have Andrew Miller start on Thursday in Texas, with Tim Wakefield making his next start on Friday at Fenway Park.

“We really leaned on [Jon] Lester the last three starts and this way we’ll back Wake up and let him pitch Friday, back up Lester [to Saturday] and this way it gives everybody a little bit of rest," Francona said. "We talked to [John] Lackey and [Josh] Beckett too, to make sure we’re doing the right thing and everybody feels good about it.”

The change means Wakefield will have a chance to win his 200th career game at home, although Francona said did not play into his decision. It will be Wakefield's sixth attempt at the milestone.

“There are a lot of reasons, and you can’t do it for sentimental reasons, but I’m glad,” Francona said.

BOSTON -- Milestone weekend continued Sunday afternoon at Fenway Park.

While the Red Sox defeated the Seattle Mariners 12-8 to extend the visitors' losing skid to 15 consecutive games, Sox starter Tim Wakefield improved to 6-3 in 13 starts this season and recorded his 2,000th career strikeout with Boston. It was Wakefield's 199th career victory.

Wakefield followed the milestone theme set by Red Sox manager Terry Francona, who earned his 1,000th victory of his career on Saturday.

Wakefield entered Sunday’s game with 1,996 strikeouts, and he registered his 2,000th when he got the Mariners’ Mike Carp swinging to end the top of the sixth. As Wakefield walked off the field, Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia met him at the first-base line, shook Wakefield’s hand and handed the veteran the baseball.

He also received a standing ovation from the fans and more congratulatory hugs from his teammates in the dugout.

“It was pretty special. It was very emotional for me,” Wakefield said of the ovation. “For them to acknowledge the fact, and I had no idea that it happened -- Salty was walking toward me and I was like, ‘What’s going on?’ and he said, ‘Congratulations on 2,000 strikeouts.’ It was a pretty cool ovation and a pretty cool day for me.

“Tito winning a thousand games is pretty special, too,” Wakefield said. “It shows his character and he’s done the right things over his career. He’s a great manager and I’m proud to say I’ve played for him for eight years. He’s brought two World Series championships to the city of Boston and he gets the most out of his players on the field.”

Wakefield worked 6 1/3 innings and allowed seven runs on 10 hits with one walk and four strikeouts. He surrendered a grand slam to the Mariners’ Brendan Ryan in the seventh inning with the Sox leading 11-3.

Wakefield becomes the second Red Sox pitcher in franchise history to record 2,000 strikeouts, joining Roger Clemens (2,590).

“Any milestone you achieve is ranked up there pretty high with me and 2,000 is a high number," Wakefield said. "It says a lot about being in one place for a long time like I have, going through ups and downs in my career and being able to persevere for the last 17 years.”

Only three other American League teams have had two pitchers reach that plateau -- the Angels (Nolan Ryan and Chuck Finley), Indians (Bob Feller and Sam McDowell) and Twins (Walter Johnson and Bert Blyleven).

Of approaching 200 career wins, Wakefield said, "I'm one step closer."

HEATING UP: At the time Carl Crawford suffered a hamstring strain that landed him on the disabled list on June 18, Boston’s left fielder had been playing well and it appeared he was about to heat up. Since returning from the DL last Monday in Baltimore, Crawford has recorded a hit in five of the six games he’s played.

“I actually think he looks better,” Francona said before Sunday's win. “He got rewarded with a couple of hits his first game [back from DL] and that relaxed him at the plate. On the bases he’s been real aggressive. He’s taken off on the first pitch three times, which he wasn’t necessarily doing before, so it’s obvious that he’s feeling pretty good physically. He’s in a good place.”

Crawford continued that pace on Sunday, going 3-for-4 with a walk, double, two RBIs and two runs scored. Since being activated, he’s 9-for-24 (.375) with two doubles, four RBI and four runs scored.

SALTY RIBS: Saltalamacchia scorched the ball Sunday afternoon. Batting eighth, he went 3-for-4 with four RBIs. All of his hits were hard-hit singles to right field. He’s reached base in 26 of his last 28 games, hitting .296 during that time with 16 RBIs.

UP NEXT: Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester (10-4, 3.31 ERA) returns to the mound on Monday after being on the disabled list since July 6 with a lat strain. Lester will face Kansas City’s Kyle Davies (1-9, 7.32) as Boston begins a four-game series against the Royals at Fenway Park. The last time Lester pitched, he was removed with the injury after four no-hit innings and five strikeouts against the Blue Jays on July 5.

“The biggest thing will be watching his workload,” Francona said. “He’s come through this about as well as you can hope. He was completely pain-free when he started throwing and that’s what we wanted. Now it’s just about building up endurance where if you go out and let a guy throw 120 [pitches] his first time out he’ll be sore, so you don’t want to do that. You try to balance winning the game and bringing him along where he can get on a roll.

“When that bell rings, he’s going to forget about being down for a couple of weeks. He’s going to go out and fire and try to win. That’s good but we have to keep an eye on him.”

BOSTON -- With the majority of the Red Sox starting rotation injured or struggling and the bullpen taxed, veteran knuckleballer Tim Wakefield worked seven strong innings, allowing three runs on nine hits with one walk and seven strikeouts to help Boston to a 6-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night at Fenway Park.

Wakefield threw 106 pitches, 77 for strikes, to improve his record to 5-3 in 11 starts this season.

With the victory, the 44-year-old is two wins shy of becoming the 108th pitcher in major league history, and the 89th modern-day hurler (since 1900) to record 200 wins.

The Red Sox took two of three against the Blue Jays and have won eight of 14 series this season at Fenway Park.

ALL-STAR CALIBER: Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury continues to produce like an All-Star. The Sox center fielder went 3-for-5, including a home run, a pair of doubles, three RBIs, a stolen base and a run scored to help Boston to victory. He led off the bottom of the first with a home run, crushing a 1-0 offering from Blue Jays starter Ricky Romero. It was Ellsbury’s 10th round-tripper of the season and his third leadoff shot. Despite going 0-for-4 on Tuesday, he finished the three-game set against Toronto 7-for-14 with two runs scored, a triple, two doubles, a home run, five RBIs and two stolen bases.

RIGHT SIDE UP: With Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez (stiff neck) getting his first night off this season, third baseman Kevin Youkilis found himself on the right side of the infield for the first time since Aug. 2, 2010. Youkilis, who missed Tuesday’s game due to headaches and tightness in his back after getting hit by a pitch on Monday, went 3-for-4 with a home run and a pair of doubles. Gonzalez had played all 85 games until Wednesday night’s breather.

DEFENSIVE GEM-LESS: No doubt Ellsbury had a heck of a night at the plate, but he also showcased his defensive skills, though that went for naught on a non-play in the top of the fifth. With one out and one runner on, the Blue Jays’ Eric Thames drove ball deep to left-center field. Ellsbury, in an all-out sprint, got to the base of the wall and made a leaping catch. It would have been the defensive gem of the game, but prior to Wakefield’s offering, Thames asked for time out and plate umpire Tim McClelland awarded it. Red Sox manager Terry Francona came out to argue, but Thames was given another shot and ended up striking out. Francona and McClelland spoke again between innings.

UP NEXT: With the Blue Jays leaving town and the Orioles arriving, the Red Sox will send left-hander Andrew Miller (2-0, 3.06 ERA) to the mound to face Baltimore’s righty Jake Arrieta (9-5, 4.74). Miller has made one career start against the O’s while he was with the Florida Marlins on June 23, 2009. The southpaw allowed one run through seven innings that game, but did not factor in the decision as the Marlins won in 12 innings.

Not the Same Ol’ Pirates?
The Boston Red Sox may be playing for a title in 2011, but the Pittsburgh Pirates have pride on the line.

In 1992, Pittsburgh finished 96-66 and lost to Atlanta Braves in the NLCS. That year, a 26-year-old rookie named Tim Wakefield took the NL by surprise, going 8-1 with a 2.15 ERA. Despite making just 13 appearances, he finished third in the NL Rookie of the Year voting. Meanwhile, Barry Bonds, just 27, won his second MVP in three years.

Then, Bonds left for San Francisco.

The Pirates haven’t posted a winning record since. With 18 straight losing seasons, they hold the longest streak ever in the four major sports.

Right now, the end is in sight. Through 74 games, Pittsburgh is 37-37. A year ago at this point, the Pirates were 25-49.

Just last week, they were actually two games over .500, a position to which they could return by winning two out of three this weekend. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the latest into a season that Pittsburgh was two games over .500 since 1999 (40-38).

Though Pittsburgh sits in fourth place, they are just three games back of the lead in the NL Central. For most teams, that position in June means very little. But for the Pirates, it’s the latest into a season they’ve been within three games since September 1997.

Last season, the Pirates’ starting pitchers combined for a 5.28 ERA, highest in the majors. This year, much of the same group now has a 3.74 ERA, 10th best in the majors.

This is the third interleague series between the Red Sox and Pirates. But in each of the previous two (2003 and 2005), Pittsburgh was already stuck in reverse, on its way to another losing season.

The last time Boston faced a Pirates team at or above .500? The 1903 World Series.

Wakefield’s Return to Pittsburgh
On Saturday, nearly 18 years after he last stepped to a mound in Pittsburgh, Wakefield returns to the city where he started his career.

On September 30, 1993, Wakefield tossed a shutout against the Philadelphia Phillies. It would be his final start with the Pirates. He spent the 1994 season toiling in the minors. The Pirates gave up on him in April 1995, and he’s been with the Red Sox ever since.

Now, 6,476 days later, he returns to Pittsburgh to start Saturday. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only one pitcher in MLB history has had a longer period between his final home start for one team and his first road start against that team.

Jamie Moyer made his final start for the Chicago Cubs on October 2, 1988, and didn’t return there as an opponent until August 22, 2006. At 6,532 days, he edges Wakefield by just 56.

Though it will be his first trip back to the Steel City, it won’t be the first time that Wakefield has faced the Pirates. In 2005, he pitched seven shutout innings, but Boston’s offense didn’t provide a single run of support. Alan Embree wound up taking the loss, as the Pirates won 2-0.

Interestingly, Wakefield actually has a 20-inning scoreless streak going when pitching in Pittsburgh. His tenure in Pittsburgh ended with back-to-back shutouts at home in 1993.

Red Sox-Pirates Connections
In addition to Wakefield, several notable players have worn both a Red Sox and Pirates uniform.

Tony Pena played 801 games with the Pirates before his 543-game stint in Boston. He’s the only one with 500 or more games for both franchises, though Mike Easler and Dick Stuart topped 300 in both places. Boston acquired Easler from the Pirates after the 1983 season for pitcher John Tudor, who was the NL Cy Young runner-up in 1985 with the Cardinals.

Perhaps the most notable recent example is Jason Bay. Only he and Stuart had 45 home runs for both franchises.

Only one pitcher has 50 wins for both franchises. Jesse Tannehill went 116-58 for the Pirates from 1897 to 1902. He then spent 1903, the year Pittsburgh and Boston met in the first World Series, with the New York Highlanders. Following that season, he was traded to the Red Sox, where he went 62-38 over five seasons.

BOSTON -- Tim Wakefield, who is pitching Sunday, has made 11 starts against the Milwaukee Brewers. He lost his first two, within a two-week span at the end of the 1995 season, but is 5-0 with four no-decisions since. He last faced the Brewers on May 17, 2008, when he allowed three earned runs in 5 1/3 innings and was not involved in the decision in a 7-6 Sox win.

But the most memorable start Wakefield made against the Brewers, and one that ranks among the most notable of his career, came on June 5, 1997, in Milwaukee, when he threw a staggering 169 pitches while lasting 8 2/3 innings in a 2-1 Sox win. Kerry Lacy recorded the last out for his first career save.

Wakefield struck out a career-high 10 batters and walked seven in that game. Newspaper reports the next day said he threw 168 pitches, but evidently the official tally added one more pitch, as 169 is the number listed by baseball-reference.com. Wakefield told reporters afterward that he didn't have his best knuckleball that day so he threw more curves and (ahem) fastballs than usual, throwing the knuckler only 75 percent of the time. According to the accounts of the game, Wakefield made little mention of his pitch count.

Jimy Williams, who was managing at the time, said, "I never asked what the pitch count was.''

That was only the second-most pitches Wakefield has thrown in his career. On April 27, 1993, while with Pittsburgh, he threw 172 in 10 innings in a 6-2 win over the Braves. Those two games rank as most pitches thrown by any pitcher in a game since 1989, when Orel Hershiser threw 169 in 11 innings.

Karl Ravech, Orel Hershiser, and Bobby Valentine break down the Red Sox victory over the Yankees on Wednesday and the Sox continued dominance of the series this season.

The Baseball Tonight crew -- Karl Ravech and Bobby Valentine -- previews Game 2 of the Red Sox-Yankees series tonight (ESPN & ESPN3).

Ravech and Valentine look at the pitching matchup -- Tim Wakefield vs. A.J. Burnett -- for tonight’s game, starting with what impact the hot and humid weather might be on Wakefield's knuckler. Valentine looks at Burnett, who has been good for the Yankees this season and needs to step up tonight.

BOSTON -- This was not Tim Wakefield’s first rodeo, of course.

The knuckleballer has been a member of the Red Sox’s pitching staff forever, or at least it seems that way. The truth is Wakefield has been wearing a Boston uniform for more than 17 years.

Wakefield has been a starter for the Sox. He has been a long reliever. He has even been a closer. And he has bounced back and forth between roles.

Now, at the age of 44 (he turns 45 on Aug. 2), Wakefield is the oldest active player in the majors. When John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka went down with injuries, manager Terry Francona knew where to look for a replacement starter for Sunday night’s game against the Cubs at Fenway Park.

He gave the ball to Wakefield, who boasted 193 career wins, tops among active big leaguers. Wakefield has notched 179 wins for Boston, the third-highest total on the team's all-time list.

And Wakefield responded with a superlative, efficient outing. In his third spot start of the season, Wakefield blanked the Cubs on two hits over the first six innings before being nicked for a run on a pair of doubles in the seventh.

He wound up going 6 2/3 innings, throwing only 75 pitches. He fanned three and did not walk a batter, going to three balls on only one hitter. Wakefield left to a huge ovation with a 3-1 lead.

Wakefield wound up with his first win of the season, the 194th of his career and 180th for the Sox, and Boston took the rubber game of the series 5-1, finishing the homestand with a 5-1 mark.

So this is why: On Saturday night, with the game in the balance, Francona elected not to use Daniel Bard, his flame-throwing setup man, to protect a 3-1 advantage in the eighth inning. Francona thought Bard need a second straight night off, and despite the game’s circumstances, he stuck with that decision.

Francona instead called on Matt Albers, who had a tough night, leading to an eight-run uprising by the Cubs and a 9-3 Chicago win.

On Sunday night, with the game again in the balance and Boston again leading, 3-1, Francona called in Bard with a runner at second and two outs in the seventh.

Bard came in throwing bullets. He whiffed Alfonso Soriano, sizzling a 98-mile-an-hour fastball past Soriano’s late swing.

In the eighth, with Boston on top 5-1, Bard made Kosuke Fukudome look sick on an 84-mile-an-hour slider for an inning-ending strikeout.

Sweet stroke: Adrian Gonzalez is such a pleasure to watch hit, the consummate professional hitter.

His first two at-bats Sunday night offered more evidence of that.

In his first trip to the plate, facing left-hander James Russell, Gonzalez, a left-handed hitter, fell behind in the count at 0-and-2. But there was no panic in his approach. It was almost as if Gonzalez was in charge of the at-bat, even with the count 0-and-2.

Gonzalez calmly dropped the bat head on Russell’s next pitch, which was on the outer half of the plate, and dunked a single into shallow left. He didn’t hit the ball hard, but Gonzalez put the ball in play and found a hole.

His second at-bat was almost a carbon copy of the first. Again he fell behind 0-and-2. But once again, Gonzalez calmly went with an outside pitch, this time lacing a single between third and short for a leadoff single in the fourth that sparked a two-run flurry that gave the Red Sox a 2-0 lead.

Gonzalez has had at least two hits in eight of his last 13 games, giving him a league-leading 20 multiple-hit games.

He added on to his batting average by crushing a double off the wall in left-center off right-hander Justin Berg and dribbling a single up the middle in the seventh. Gonzalez’s 4-for-4 night vaulted his average from .328 to .342.

“I’m swinging at pitches I want to swing at,” Gonzalez said matter-of-factly after his second four-hit game of the season. “I don’t chase too many pitches out of the zone. I’m just trying to execute my game plan. You have the same thought process all the time. It’s just about execution.”

“He’s such a professional hitter,” Francona said. “He hits the ball to left field, fights off pitches. He’s a really good hitter in a really good period. I hope it lasts a long time.”

Catching fire: Francona’s roster manipulation of his catchers is paying off at the plate for Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jason Varitek.

Up until a few weeks ago, each catcher was saddled with a batting average well south of the Mendoza Line. Lately, though, their offense has picked up.

Sunday night, Saltalamacchia clubbed his third homer in his last four games, which is saying something because his first one, coming against the Yankees last Sunday, snapped a 121-at-bat homerless streak that had stretched back to Aug. 2, 2009.

Sunday's fifth-inning blast over the Green Monster stretched Saltalamacchia's hitting streak to five games, (.389, 7-for-18), boosting his overall average to .237.

“It’s nice to get a pitch you want to hit hard and be able to do it,” Saltalamacchia said.

“He looks more confident,” Francona said. “And he should be because he’s playing better.”

Varitek, meanwhile, has a four-game hitting streak (.357, 5-for-14) that has lifted his average to .197. And while that doesn’t seem like much, before the streak he was batting .154.

Evened up? On Saturday night, Sox pitcher Alfredo Aceves drilled Fukudome with a pitch leading off the game. He also beaned Marlon Byrd in the face in the second inning, sending Byrd to the hospital with facial fractures.

In the fifth, the Cubs’ Carlos Zambrano seemingly retaliated, hitting Kevin Youkilis in the rear end, prompting the plate umpire, Alfonso Marquez, to issue warnings to each bench. That led Chicago manager Mike Quade to hold up his fingers and say "2 to 1," for those able to read lips. That meant two Cubs hit, one Red Sox.

On Sunday night the score was evened up.

Kerry Wood jackknifed Jed Lowrie away from the plate with an eighth-inning fastball that just missed Lowrie’s right thigh. Wood’s next pitch drilled Lowrie in the rear end, prompting plate umpire Ed Hickox to issue warnings to both benches.

“I don’t know, after you missed once,” Youkilis said with a shrug, intimating that a second attempt didn’t seem to be necessary.,

“I guess they felt like they needed another one,” Youkilis added. “I know the other day they were saying it was 2-1. I guess now we’re even until we play them again in another 100 years.”

The visit to Fenway by Chicago this past weekend was the Cubs’ first appearance in Boston since the 1918 World Series, which Boston won in six games.

Seen him before: The Red Sox will be hitting against a familiar face when they open a seven-game road trip in Cleveland on Monday night.

Justin Masterson, a top prospect who pitched for the Red Sox in 2008 and 2009 before being traded to Cleveland as part of the deal that brought Victor Martinez to Boston, will be starting for the Indians. Masterson has begun fulfilling the promise he showed in the Sox organization. He is 5-2 with a 2.52 ERA for the Indians, who surprisingly boast the best record in the American League.

Clay Buchholz (4-3, 3.42) who was in the Boston farm system with Masterson, will start for the Sox.

There’s no escaping age.

As the oldest active player in the majors, Tim Wakefield, 44, needs no reminders. Yet it will be made especially clear on Sunday against the Chicago Cubs.

Among the first batters he will face is Starlin Castro, the youngest player currently in the majors. Castro, who turned 21 in March, became the first major-leaguer born in the 1990s. Wakefield was drafted two years before Castro was born.

Opposing Wakefield on the mound is James Russell. He’s the son of former Red Sox closer Jeff Russell, who played in Boston for the two seasons before Wakefield arrived in 1995.

But even if age is inescapable, new beginnings continue to arise for Wakefield.

It was only a matter of time. Eventually, the Red Sox would need Wakefield in 2011 just as they have every year since 1995. That time appears to be now.

But in early part of the season, Wakefield has been something of an afterthought, biding his time in the bullpen doing mop-up duty. Of his nine relief appearances, all but one have come with a lead or deficit of at least four runs.

Just as it did in 2010, opportunity has knocked. With both John Lackey and Daisuke Matsuzaka on the disabled list, Wakefield isn’t just thrust into the rotation. He’s suddenly entrenched.

Perhaps it’s fitting that Wakefield returns to the rotation in a series so steeped in historical remembrance. Two weeks ago, he bypassed Deacon McGuire as the oldest player in franchise history. In a career spanning from 1884 to 1912, McGuire played for a Matt Stairs-like 12 teams. His last appearance with the Red Sox came in 1908, the year the Cubs last won a title.

With Jamie Moyer inactive and Andy Pettitte retired, the gap between Wakefield and the next oldest starting pitcher is massive. He’s seven years older than Bartolo Colon and Derek Lowe, both 37.

Now back in the rotation, Wakefield’s quest for history resumes.

With 193 wins, Wakefield is the active MLB leader, needing seven more to reach 200. Interestingly, if he doesn’t get there, history will also be made. According to Baseball-Reference.com, the last time a season finished without an appearance by a 200-win pitcher was 1878. That’s when Tommy Bond of the Boston Red Caps led the way with 195.

Wakefield is 13 wins shy of tying the Red Sox record shared by Roger Clemens and Cy Young. On Sunday, he goes for his first victory of the season. It would mark his 17th straight season with a win for Boston. That’s a record he already holds, having passed Clemens and Bob Stanley, who went 13 consecutive years with a win.

BOSTON -- Red Sox manager Terry Francona was thrown out of Friday night’s game because of what he termed a “silly rule,” and he was none too happy with umpiring crew chief Joe West for West’s actions on the field after the ejection.

Francona leaped off his seat on the bench in the second inning when pitcher Tim Wakefield was called for a balk that negated an inning-ending putout in a rundown and gift-wrapped another run for the Twins, padding Minnesota’s lead to 4-0.

Runners were at first and third with two outs. Wakefield faked a throw to third base and then wheeled and threw to first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. Denard Span, the runner at first, was cleanly picked off. Gonzalez threw to second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who slapped a tag on Span well before Ben Revere, running from third, even got close to the plate.

The Sox thought they were out of the inning. But a split-second after Wakefield made his throw, plate umpire Angel Hernandez was moving out from behind the plate and calling a “step-balk,” ruling Wakefield had not stepped far enough toward third base for it to be a legal pickoff move.

Arguing step-balks is like arguing balls and strikes -- it's not allowed. Such protests call for automatic ejection if someone argues.

“I actually never got an explanation,” said Francona. “I got out there so quick because I was stunned [at the call]. I’ve seen Wake do that 30 times. I kind of got out there to find out what happened. Once I got out there and was [thrown out] I figured I’d get an explanation, but I was not even allowed to ask, which to me is silly.

“It seems like a bit of a silly rule,” he said of the ejection, his second of the year and 31st of his managerial career.

That’s when West, umpiring at third base, got involved, much to Francona’s displeasure. West tried to shield Francona from getting to Hernandez. There was contact made between the two of them, more than once, though it was difficult to tell whether West or Francona initiated the contact.

“Joe wants to be in everybody’s business,” said an agitated Francona after the game. “That [discussion] was between me and Angel. He [West] grabbed me. I didn’t appreciate that. I thought he was out of line. That was wrong.”

Francona was so steamed on the field that as West helped escort him past the plate and toward the Sox dugout, Francona yanked what he had been chewing from his mouth and tossed it from close range at Hernandez, though it wasn’t clear if anything hit the umpire.

Francona could be looking at being disciplined for his actions.

Wakefield, for his part, did not think he balked after seeing the tape of the play.

“I heard Angel say I stepped toward the plate, but there’s clearly a gap between both my feet,” said Wakefield.

In the sixth inning, Boston pitcher Alfredo Aceves committed another run-producing balk. This one was obvious. He started his motion, then stopped before stepping off the rubber.

“My bad,” said Aceves.

Francona chuckled at that one.

"That was about as much of a balk [as you can commit],” said Francona. “I wanted to run back out there and tell them they got [that one] right.”

BOSTON -- Tim Wakefield, trying to chase down Cy Young and Roger Clemens for the most wins as a Red Sox pitcher, did not fare well Friday night in his second spot start of the season.

The knuckleballer’s seventh pitch was hammered into the Monster seats by Trevor Plouffe and things didn’t get much better for him after that. The Twins, the worst-hitting team in the American League (.230), rapped out nine hits in knocking out Wakefield after only 4 1/3 innings en route to a 9-2 romp at Fenway Park.

Yes, if normally sure-handed first baseman Adrian Gonzalez had made a play on a ball he generally eats up, costing Wakefield a two-run single in the third, the damage wouldn’t have been as great. And his run-producing balk didn’t help matters, costing the Sox manager Terry Francona in the process. He was ejected because it’s a call that can’t be argued.

Ultimately, though, Wakefield was charged with eight runs, six of which were earned. His earned-run average jumped from 4.08 to 5.73 in 10 games, totaling 22 innings.

Wakefield, in his 17th year in Boston, has 179 wins as a member of the Red Sox, trailing only Young and Clemens, who each posted 192.

Wakefield, who has a career total of 193 victories, including his time with the Pittsburgh Pirates, is 44 years, 277 days old, the oldest active player in the majors. Only Deacon McGuire, at 44 years, 280 days, was older when he made a start for the Red Sox on Aug. 24, 1908.

Wakefield has had a magnificent career on the field, and off the field his humanitarian efforts are unparalleled. But his opportunities to catch Cy Young and Roger Clemens are dwindling, and Friday night’s results aren’t going to help him in his bid to secure more chances to start.

Where's the defense? First baseman Adrian Gonzalez is a two-time Gold Glove winner. But somehow, as Gonzalez went to his knees moving to his right, Denard Span’s bouncer got past him, rolling into right field for a two-out, two-run single in the second inning that gave Minnesota a 3-0 lead. One balk later, it was 4-0, and the Red Sox were unable to catch up.

Later in the game, Gonzalez, who clouted his first homer of the year over the Monster seats, made an outstanding diving play going to his right for the final out of the sixth, robbing Danny Valencia of a hit. It was a terrific play -- four innings too late.

And then there was shortstop Jed Lowrie. The Sox still were in the game at 6-2 in the fifth when Drew Butera smoked a hot shot to short. Lowrie, maybe screened by a runner, let the ball slip through him for an error that allowed two more runs to score, making it an 8-2 game.

Later Lowrie wasn’t able to handle a throw from catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia on a stolen-base attempt. The ball was knocked out of his glove and the baserunner scrambled over to third base. Lowrie was charged with his second error of the game and fourth of the season, tying him with Marco Scutaro for the team lead.

Where's the offense? The Red Sox did not score in their final four innings of Wednesday’s marathon 13-inning loss (5-3) to the Angels. They were blanked Thursday, 11-0. Friday night, except for solo homers by J.D. Drew (second inning) and Adrian Gonzalez (fourth), the Sox were able to do very little with Minnesota starter Scott Baker in his eight solid innings.

As for the only other bright spots, Jacoby Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to 15 games and Carl Crawford’s streak reached six games.

Slumping second baseman Dustin Pedroia returned, but a day off didn’t help him any. He went 0 for 3, an ugly 0 for 3 after a first-inning walk. He whiffed, banged into a double play, and flailed at a wide breaking pitch for strike three with runners at second and third and two outs in the eighth.

Thanks, Mr. Wakefield. The Twins’ Trevor Plouffe and Ben Revere each had his first major-league at-bat of the season. And, with the unwitting help of Boston pitcher Tim Wakefield, they each notched a successful debut.

Plouffe clubbed a shoulder-high hanging knuckler for a solo homer into the Monster seats in the first inning. Revere ripped a single to left-center in his first time up this season.

If you're scoring at home. The shift employed by the Red Sox in the first inning against Twins designated hitter Jason Kubel led to an unusual double play.

With a runner at first and one out, Kubel, a left-handed hitter, smacked a bouncer to Boston third baseman Kevin Youkilis, who was wide of the bag. It was a tailor-made double-play ball.

But the second baseman, Dustin Pedroia, was swung way over toward first base on the shift. So shortstop Jed Lowrie, who was positioned behind the second-base bag and shaded a bit to the right-field side of it, stepped in to take Youkilis’ throw for the force-out.

Then Lowrie made a quick relay to first, easily nailing Kubel for the inning-ending double play.

That’s a 5-6-3 DP in the scorebook.