Tim Wakefield retired last week after 19 big league seasons. During his tenure, he won 200 games while setting a record for highest ERA for any pitcher with 200 or more victories. One of his wilder victories occurred at Comerica Park in 2004. On August 8, Wakefield became the sixth pitcher to surrender six home runs in a game. Despite the long balls, the knuckler managed an 11-9 victory over the Detroit Tigers.
Detroit lost 119 games in 2003, but played appreciably better the following season. They entered an August 8 game against the Red Sox at 51-59 for the season. Although not particularly good, it represented a dramatic improvement. Meanwhile, the Red Sox record stood at 59-49. At the time, some Sox fans considered it disappointing considering the team added Curt Schilling to the squad that barely lost the American League Championship Series to New York in 2003.
Boston’s August 8 starter, Tim Wakefield, surrendered the pennant-winning home run to the Yankees in the 2003 ALCS. At the time, his record stood at 7-6. The Tigers started Nate Robertson, who was 9-6. At this point, Robertson enjoyed a better season than Wakefield, at least in the win-loss column. Since Wakefield featured the knuckleball, he tended to surrender home runs.
In 2004, Tim Wakefield allowed 29 home runs. For his career, he gave up 418 long balls. On August 8, the Tigers hit six. Ivan Rodriguez hit the first Tiger homer to give Detroit a 1-0 lead in the first. Boston answered with two in the top of the second. In the bottom half of the frame, Wakefield yielded home runs to Craig Monroe and Eric Munson. Detroit led 3-2 after two innings.
Boston displayed some power themselves. Kevin Youkilis led off the third with a solo shot to tie the score. In the bottom of the inning, Rodriguez hit his second of the game, a two-run shot, to untie it. One out later, Carlos Pena connected and Detroit led 6-3 after three.
The Red Sox refused to yield. They put together a six-run fourth inning of Robertson. Johnny Damon tripled in two and scored on a Youkilis single. Robertson left the game after providing a free pass to Kevin Millar. After Millar's walk, David Ortiz hit a line drive three-run blast off reliever Roberto Novoa. The pitcher belatedly retired the next three Sox. Detroit went down in order in the bottom of the fourth and Boston led 9-6 after four innings. Wakefield held onto the lead despite pitching modified batting practice.
Novoa appeared to have settled down after the Ortiz homer. However, he quickly found himself in trouble in the fifth. Novoa walked Bill Mueller, surrendered a double to Gabe Kapler, and then Youkilis hit a sacrifice fly. Boston led 10-6. In the bottom half of the inning, Detroit got the run back. Dmitry Young became the sixth Tiger to play long ball off Wakefield. His two-out solo homer made it 10-7 Boston. Wakefield’s day ended after he coerced the final out of the fifth inning.
The two teams failed to score for the next few innings as the bullpens took over, but the teams were not done. Youkilis hit his second home run of the game in the eighth. Munson connected again in the bottom of the eighth. In the ninth, Boston tried to score, but had a man thrown out at home. In the bottom of the ninth, Keith Foulke retired the Tigers in order to save Wakefield’s wild win. Hollis Thurston was the last pitcher to surrender six home runs in a game and win. The Dodger accomplished the feat in 1932.
On August 8, 2004, Tim Wakefield did not have his best stuff. The right-hander surrendered six home runs to the Detroit Tigers, but managed to win. His teammates picked him up and provided 11 runs. They needed all of them as Detroit scored nine. Wakefield finally retired in early 2012 with 200 wins exactly. Without the offensive explosion on that August day, he might still be scrounging for that magical 200th victory.
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