Shake
| Game 158: September 30, 2009 | |||
 Blue Jays | 12 | W: Roy Halladay (17-10) | 75-84, 6 game winning streak |
| Red Sox | 0 | L: Tim Wakefield (11-5) | 91-67, 6 game losing streak |
| Highlights: Only Rocco Baldelli (seventh frame) and Joey Gathright (sixth inning to break up the no-hitter and a two-out hit in the eighth) collected hits off Halladay and all three of them were singles. Maybe the rest of the Boston batters were a little tuckered out from their well-deserved post-clinch revelry. Dusty Brown moreso than the others; he became the third position player this season to take the mound, joining Jonathan Van Every and Nick Green and setting a team record for non-pitchers toeing the rubber. While Boston had to resort to desperate measures the Blue Jays only had to rely on Halladay, who pitched his ninth complete game and fourth shutout. | |||
That time of year thou mayst in me behold
When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang
Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,
Bare ruin’d choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.
In Tim Wakefield we see the twilight of such a day as after his knuckleball fades, a pitch that by and by injury and age does take away. All September Wakefield has not surrendered under four earned runs in an outing. The knuckleballer is a candidate to be left off the postseason roster, joining Manny Delcarmen.
I thought and hoped that Wakefield would last as long as Phil Niekro, but the 43-year old’s fire seems to have expired. The perpetual team option may not be exercised for 2010 and the only reliable knuckler will likely retire.
Although he’ll be back for benefits and charity events, to see Wakefield without a 49 jersey will be a poignant moment for the club, the man, and the fans.
This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong,
To love that well which thou must leave ere long.
