Red Sox 3-2, FINAL: David Ortiz with a walk-off to right. Just like old times.
Mid 9th, 2-2: Bard picks up two more strikeouts, and now it's up to Youkilis, Ortiz and Bay against Tony Pena to salvage the night.
End 8th, 2-2: Matt Thornton is having a much better Wednesday than his Tuesday. After giving it up late in the Red Sox's 6-3 victory, Thornton pitches his second straight scoreless inning tonight to send us to the ninth tied.
Mid 8th, 2-2: Ramirez allows the go-ahead run to reach with a walk to Gordon Beckham after Podsednik's homer, but he recovers to get the next two batters, and Daniel Bard strikes out Thome with Beckham at second to end the inning.
9:10 p.m.: Ramon Ramirez ruins the night for everyone, allowing a game-tying homer to pinch hitter Scott Podsednik leading off the eighth.
End 7th, Red Sox 2-1: Wakefield is done after his stellar seven innings, allowing one run on six hits. Ramon Ramirez will start the eighth, which leads us to believe that Daniel Bard is the closer tonight. Keep in mind, Jonathan Papelbon has pitched the past two nights.
Mid 7th, Red Sox 2-1: Maybe Tim Wakefield can help this team down the stretch. The White Sox again make it interesting, getting a leadoff single from Jim Thome and a two-out single from Alex Rios. But Wakefield holds his ground once again, getting Alexei Ramirez on a shallow fly to left on pitch No. 94.
End 6th, Red Sox 2-1: The Red Sox threaten for more, putting runners at the corners with two outs and Ortiz up. Big Papi shakes it up with a bunt attempt that goes foul. He must have known something. On a 3-and-2 pitch, he struck out.
8:32 p.m.: Alex Gonzalez puts the Red Sox ahead 2-1 with a leadoff homer to left in the sixth. On a night of dominant pitching, that could be enough to win it.
Mid 6th, 1-1: The White Sox threaten again, with Pierzynski doubling high off the Wall for a two-out double. But Wakefield is unfazed, getting Konerko on a pop-up to first to get through the sixth at 80 pitches.
End 5th, 1-1: There appears to be a flight of bats flying about over the ballpark tonight, but the bats on the field are dormant. Floyd sets the Sox down in order in the fifth and each starter has allowed just three hits.
Mid 5th, 1-1: White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen complained bitterly after Tuesday's loss about his team's inability to score runners from third with less than two outs. Not much has changed tonight.
Carlos Quentin winds up at third after Martinez's throw on a stolen base attempt goes into center field, but Alex Rios grounds out to third, freezing Quentin, and Alexei Ramirez grounds out to first to end the inning.
End 4th, 1-1: After tying it in he second, David Ortiz nearly unties it in the fourth, sending a ball deep to right, but just foul. So instead of a two-run homer, it becomes a strikeout, and we remain locked up.
Mid 4th, 1-1: To quote the philosopher Don Orsillo: Tim Wakefield is back, and he's back big! Wake has been dominating tonight, getting his own 4-6-3 double play after a one-out walk in the fourth. It should be noted that Victor Martinez hasn't had even the slightest hiccup so far.
End 3rd, 1-1: Gavin Floyd is matching Wakefield quick inning for quick inning, erasing an Alex Gonzalez single with a rare double play grounder by Jacoby Ellsbury. Maybe we're going to get a quick one tonight, after some of the marathons on this homestand.
Mid 3rd, 1-1: Wakefield is looking like an All-Star so far, setting down seven in a row since the Konerko triple. Best of all, Wakefield is keeping his pitch count down, needing just 41 through three innings.
End 2nd, 1-1: After Wakefield posts his own 1-2-3 inning (with his second strikeout), David Ortiz ties the score with a homer into the Monster Seats. Ortiz now has 21 homers on the season, a preposterous number back on June 5. Starting June 6, Ortiz has 20.
Mid 1st, White Sox 1-0: The White Sox are not officially bunting, but they did have a pair of swinging bunts in the inning, and the difficulty of Wakefield's lack of mobility is a real issue.
Wakefield could not even attempt at Gordon Beckham's chopper to the third base side of the mound for a single, and Dustin Pedoria had to cover first on a dribber to the right side by A.J. Pierzynski. Paul Konerko didn't bunt, but he did triple into the triangle, scoring Beckham.
7:10 p.m.: The Red Sox hold a brief ceremony honoring Sen. Kennedy before the game. During the moment of silence, at least four fans let out loud screams, just to hear themselves break the silence. Was that really necessary? Maybe Kevin Youkilis was right.
6:40 p.m.: Tim Wakefield's return tonight means Victor Martinez is in for an experience unlike any in his career. Martinez has never caught a knuckleball pitcher before, and manager Terry Francona said before the game he hopes they're not looking at Martinez's back more than his front.
"He's been working with [bullpen coach Gary Tuck], but there's nothing like doing it. He's caught two of [Wakefield's] sides, but this is going to be a first."
Francona also said he didn't expect the White Sox to go overboard with bunts against Wakefield, who is still battling an injured calf.
"If Jim Thome wants to start bunting, good," Francona said. "Paul Konerko, go ahead. All bests are off when you're on the field, and he may have to cover his position and we may have to make adjustments, but they're not going to have seven guys bunt. It's not going to help them win."
1:30 p.m.: The Red Sox won the kind of game Tuesday night they had been losing just a few weeks ago, getting outs defensively when they had to have them and coming through with just enough clutch hitting to carry the day.
The Red Sox scored their second-lowest run total of the past eight games in a 6-3 victory, but four of the six came after the seventh inning for a needed come-from-behind success.
Tonight, the starting rotation gets what it hopes is a needed boost with the return of Tim Wakefield. Injuries have derailed his past two second halves, and it remains to be seen how his back and calf will fare against major league hitters (and bunters). But if Wakefield can give the team the minimum standard of quality start — six innings, three runs — it will be an improvement over Brad Penny, and they'll take it.
