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October 17, 2007
BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer
CLEVELAND -- The long layoff wasn't wasn't the problem for Tim Wakefield. The long fifth inning was.
Wakefield, the losing pitcher in Tuesday night's 7-3 Game Four loss to the Cleveland Indians, said he wasn't affected by making his first start since Sept. 29. He had suffered from shoulder inflammation for most of September and was left off the roster for the American League Division Series.
''That was no an issue,'' said Wakefield. ''I was 100 percent healthy -- the (layoff) didn't effect me at all. Physically, I felt fine.''
The problem, instead, was a series of bad breaks.
''I think you have to keep that inning in a little bit of persepctive when you're talking about Wake,'' said manager Terry Francona.
Wakefield, who had allowed just one hit to Cleveland over the first four innings, was tagged for a leadoff homer by Casey Blake.
Then the real trouble started. Franklin Gutierrez hit a ball off the end of his bat for a single and Wakefield compounded things by hitting Kelly Shoppach.
Grady Sizemore then hit a popup down the first base line which Kevin Youkilis circled under, only to juggle and have the ball fall to the ground. Given another chance, Sizemore hit a a grounder to the right side, forcing Shoppach at second, but Siizemore was too speedy and beat the relay to first, keeping the Indians out of the double play.
Asdrubal Cabrera then hit a liner back to Wakefield, which he stabbed, only to have
the ball trickle off his glove and land behind the mound, allowing Cabrera to reach, Guitierrez to score and Sizemore to advance to second.
''If I let it go,'' said a rueful Wakefield, ''it's a double play. If I catch it, it's a double play.''
Wakefield said he never considered letting the ball go through to second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who might have come up with the ball and started a double play.
''It's hard to let those balls get through,'' said Wakefield. ''As a pitcher, you try to field your position. You're trying to get outs.''
Even in the fifth, when the Indians got five runs off him, Wakefield was told by catcher Doug Mirabelli that his stuff was still good.
''It was good enough,'' said Wakefield. ''Not like it was in the second, third or fourth, but good enough. Unfortunately, we didn't get any breaks tonight.''
''(Wakefield) actually threw the ball really well,'' said Francona. ''In a regular season game, we would have stayed with him longer. But in the situation we're in, in a playoff game, we've got stop it right there.''
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