Tim Wakefield outduels Randy Johnson 5-0

In a matchup featuring two of the oldest current players in the Majors, Tim Wakefield shut down the Arizona DBacks completely. "I'm not facing him as a hitter, so it's kind of cool," the 41-year-old Wakefield said. "I'm actually facing their hitters and they have a pretty good lineup over there." So do the Red Sox, who got three doubles from Coco Crisp. The youngest player in their lineup, 24-year-old Brandon Moss, drove in both runs the 44-year-old Johnson allowed.

Wakefield relied on his knuckler, which travels about 65-70 mph. He mixed in some curveballs, one as slow as 55 mph -- Johnson throws some pitches almost 40 mph faster than that.
"Two guys with some great statistics going at it, totally different game, with good numbers," Crisp said. "It's a classic."

Wakefield (5-5) was 1-4 in his previous eight starts. Johnson (4-6) had his best outing in five starts, but has lost all of them.
Wakefield baffled the Diamondbacks with his knuckleball and allowed two of Arizona's three hits in seven innings.

"It was tough," Chris Young said. "It's a tough pitch to hit. Guys struggle with it because you don't really know how to approach it." Wakefield struck out six, walked one and has allowed three runs or fewer in at least seven innings in six straight starts. Manny Delcarmen struck out two in a perfect eighth and Jonathan Papelbon struck out Chad Tracy for his 23rd save in 27 chances after Craig Hansen loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth. Johnson went six innings, allowing two runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and two walks.