Wakefield Won 200, The Defeat Of The Red Sox, Blue Jays

BOSTON (AP)-Fans shouted Tim Wakefield (notes) name. A teammate was sprayed with champagne. It was time.

Former baseball player won his elusive 200th victory and the Boston Red Sox slugged their way to their first victory in a week, 18-6 over the Toronto Blue Jays, thanks to an outbreak of 18 affected.

The knuckleballer has been 45 years without a victory in his last seven starts. Perspectives playoff team in gray, with losses in their last five games. But Tuesday night in Boston set a career high season and moved four games ahead of Tampa Bay, 4-2 loser to Baltimore in the AL wild card.

"There was some genuine happiness, perhaps also for us," manager Terry Francona said. "It seemed we had been waiting for this victory as the activation expected of him."

The Red Sox need a win badly after his lead over the Rays fell nine games to three in the last nine days. Wakefield and was eager to end the long wait of 0-3 in seven starts since his last victory on July 24 - to become the 108th pitcher with 200 wins.

"I'm a bit speechless," said Wakefield, who signed with Boston in 1995 after being released from Pittsburgh, "but I am very grateful that I was able to wear this uniform, as long as I ' and have reached a stage that I thought I would never achieve. "

Dustin Pedroia (notes) hit two Homer and he and Jacoby Ellsbury (notes) had four hits each. But the Red Sox still feel the pressure with a four-game series at home against Tampa Bay starting Thursday evening.

"Not really," Pedroia said, when asked, to win the team took the weight off. "We have 15 games remaining and the rose, the four hours? ... We are all well in the playoffs than it is now."

Wakefield (7-6) has six innings and overcame a shaky exit to resign his last six batters. He left with a lead of 6-5 after six hits and two walks. He struck out two.

The audience applauded and shouted: "Wakefield! Wakefield!" Junichi Tazawa as a (known) set up the ninth in Boston.

After the match took place Wakefield on the ground and close to Jonathan Papelbon (notes) was sprayed with champagne. Wakefield corrugated and a wink to the amount, then hugged his teammates. The song "Still The One" played on sound system.

"Two hundred wins is a long time," said Toronto manager John Farrell, the pitching coach of Wakefield 2007-10 "This is one heck of a success. We wanted to extend that date he received his 200th A little bit more. "

The Red Sox added to their lead with four runs in the sixth inning with a double to Carl Crawford (notes), an RBI single by Jarrod Saltalamacchia (notes), a single by Ellsbury and a three-run homer by Pedroia, 20 the year. Pedroia, who matched his career high with five RBIs, was also at the tip of the tail circuit Ellsbury in the fourth quarter in a row.

Pedroia went 4-5 with two homers, two doubles and a sacrifice fly after only 3 for 31 on the road trip that ended Sunday in Boston to lose six of seven matches. Ellsbury also had four hits and Crawford had three.

"I had a clean run in the sixth," Wakefield said, "then our offense exploded and it is easier to see inside, that's for sure."

However, during his streak without a victory, he thought he could never reach 200 victories.

"And 'limits my mind," he said, "but say to myself that the goal does not define me as a person. (I) was very lucky to live in a dream I had as a child, and I'm just grateful that happened today and I am very grateful that it happened in front of our home crowd. "

Brandon Morrow (Notes) (9-11) left after the Crawford led off the sixth with a double and took third Marco Scutari (known) sacrifice. Luis Perez (Notes) may be affected only four batters he faced alone Saltalamacchia, who was 7-5.

Alfredo Aceves (notes) relieved Wakefield in the seventh inning and worked two-run profit. Tazawa, just remember to minors, was in place.

Boston took a 2-0 lead on unearned runs in the first row when Pedroia doubled, Adrian Gonzalez (notes) walked Kevin Youkilis (notes) was hit by a pitch and Josh Reddick (note) was safe on a basic error of two jets by the first baseman David Cooper (notes).

Toronto went ahead 3-2 in the second JP Arencibia (Notes) Homer 23 three-point shot. But the Red Sox are 4-3 in the bottom of the sleeve with a double by Ellsbury and point Pedroia sacrifice fly.

Wakefield took the tracks back in the third inning when the Blue Jays took a 5-4 lead as Eric Thames (notes) opened with a single and Jose Bautista (notes) hit his 42nd major league high Homer.

Then the Red Sox ahead 6-5 to stay in the loop back to back by Ellsbury, 27, and Pedroia.

"When you do not walk, we saw today, what they can," Farrell says. "Pedroia breaks a long recession, with a big night for him. Ellsbury was on fire all year."

Home Previous Wakefield was also against the Toronto Blue Jays and left with a 8-5 lead on Wednesday. But the bullpen could not and returned to Toronto to a 11-10 victory, forcing Wakefield keep waiting for that elusive 200th victory.

But on Tuesday kept the Red Sox to add to their lead with four points in the sixth, seventh and eighth in September. Saltalamacchia out of three double points final race from Boston to the plate.

NOTES: Boston DH David Ortiz (note) was in the starting lineup, but experienced muscle spasms in his back and Jed Lowri (notes) pinch hit for him in the first. ... Morrow is 0-4 in his last four starts and 1-6 in its last eight. ... Scutaro doubled in the eighth was his 1000 hit career. ... John Lackey (notes) (12-12) for locations in Boston against Ricky Romero (notes) (14-10) in the final Wednesday afternoon the two-game series. ... Wakefield ERA rose from 5.03 to 5.13. ... Toronto shortstop Yunel Escobar (notes) will miss at least two games in Boston because of a bruised left arm. ... With 20 homers and 25 stolen bases, Pedroia became the seventh Red Sox player with 20 homers and 20 steals. Ellsbury has 27 homers and 36 steals. Jackie Jensen was the only player in club history to have two seasons from 20 to 20.

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