Red Sox-Royals: Tim Wakefield's Knuckler Fails Him as Sox Squander Huge Lead

The Boston Red Sox had just scored six runs in the top of the third inning—three on Jason Bay’s 36th homer, two on Jacoby Ellsbury’s single, and the final on Dustin Pedroia’s second single of the frame—when starting pitcher Tim Wakefield’s knuckleball abandoned him.

Fastballs can be controlled; so can sliders, changeups, breaking balls, and splitters. But knuckleballs are always unpredictable.

They are thrown with no spin whatsoever and usually range from 60-65 miles per hour in velocity. Catchers are used to catching fastballs and offspeed pitches ranging from 70 to even 100 miles per hour, and because of this, they are uncomfortably forced to wait on such a slow pitch.

Wakefield has had a very successful career, made even more impressive given that he’s a one-pitch pitcher. However, though he’s been durable and moderately effective throughout his 17-plus seasons in the major leagues, he’s either unhittable or serves up batting practice.

He, unfortunately for Boston, which entered the night’s contest against the Kansas City Royals a stone’s throw away from the New York Yankees in the American League East division, was the latter Wakefield.

After retiring Yuniesky Betancourt to begin the bottom of the third, he walked Josh Anderson on four pitches.

Part of Wakefield’s unpredictability is that none of he, the hitter, or Victor Martinez, his personal catcher, know where the pitch is going once thrown. He had an uncontrollable lack of control; sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. A Wakefield outing is usually a crapshoot, and this one was no different.

Since the knuckleball is thrown so slowly, and hitters and baserunners know it’s coming, it’s not too difficult to steal off of. The pitch takes so long to reach the plate that runners can get a considerable lead and head start.

Over the past nine seasons, Wakefield has allowed an average of 28 stolen bases per—considerably higher than the league average—and hasn’t allowed fewer than 18 thefts since 1995.

On cue, Anderson stole second, his 21st of the season, and then after Willie Bloomquist worked a seven-pitch walk, he was off again. He swiped third, and to make the most of Wakefield’s slow delivery, Bloomquist stole second. Mitch Maier, at bat at the time of this double steal, coaxed another walk out of Wakefield.

The knuckleballer’s knuckleball worked wonders against Kansas City’s best hitter, Billy Butler, as the third-place hitter topped the third knuckleball he saw to Kevin Youkilis at first base for the inning’s second out, but didn’t against Mike Jacobs.

Wakefield quickly went ahead in the count 0-2 on a swinging and called strike, yet after Jacobs fouled off the ensuing pitch, the lone ball of the tussle eluded Martinez and traveled all the way to the backstop, allowing Anderson to scamper home for the Royals' first run.

It was the lone run Wakefield allowed in the inning, but certainly wasn’t the last Kansas City would score in the wild affair. They added another run in the fourth on a single by Alex Gordon after Miguel Olivo stole second and advanced to third on a rare error by Martinez. This opened the floodgates.

Boston increased their lead to 8-2 with two runs in the top of the fifth, but the Royals answered right back with three of their own in the bottom. All three runs were driven in on Jacobs’ home run; it should be noted that Bloomquist walked, then stole second, and Butler walked to set the stage for Jacobs’ blast.

The Red Sox increased their slimmed lead to three when Bay scored from third on a wild pitch, but Kansas City not only answered again, but also managed to deal a debilitating blow by taking the lead.

Manny Delcarmen replaced Wakefield, who allowed five runs, five hits, and a startling seven walks in five innings, and wasn’t any better. The Royals had crushed Wakefield's knuckler, and despite the sudden increase in velocity and huge differential in repertoire, they tagged Delcarmen as well.

He gave up a double to Anderson to begin the bottom of the sixth, a two-out double to Butler that scored Anderson, and, after walking Jacobs, a two-run double to Alberto Callaspo, who is quietly having a superb year (similar to that of Pedroia during his MVP year of 2008).

Just like that, three doubles, three runs, and a tie game.

The Royals were just getting started, too.

Daniel Bard relieved an extremely ineffective Delcarmen and, usually reliable himself, was shelled as well. For once, his fastball that hits triple digits on the radar gun didn’t faze an opponent.

Olivo was his first batter, and Bard continued a trend that Wakefield started by walking the Royals catcher. This, like the many issued by Wakefield and the lone relinquished by Delcarmen, backfired as Gordon doubled in Callaspo for the go-ahead run, and Betancourt scored both Olivo and Gordon with a double of his own, extending Kansas City’s lead to three.

The Red Sox couldn’t hold a three-run lead, but the Royals could and, just to spite the Wild Card leaders, only added to it with a run off Billy Wagner in the seventh that was produced by another walk and another double by Butler, his 49th on the year.

After 18 runners reached base over the first six innings, one—a Pedroia walk in the seventh—was all the Red Sox could muster over the final three. Boston was hopeless when it mattered most, which isn't often the case for a team of their makeup and stature.

Kansas City, which improved to 62-88 on the season with the hard-fought comeback victory, was the resilient of the two. Unlike Boston, they have nothing to play for standings-wise. That doesn’t mean they can be taken lightly, though.

They watched the Red Sox score six unanswered runs, but thanks to their patience with Wakefield’s knuckler and aggressiveness and clutch play against him and the three hard-throwing relievers that followed, they answered with a bang—an unexpected one at that.