THE "IDIOTS" REVERSE THE CURSE
Rain saves the Red Sox in Baltimore

July 27, 2004 ...  The Red Sox where trailing 4-2, in the third inning and Tim Wakefield, hampered by a shoulder injury he suffered when he was struck by a line drive July 17 in Anaheim, Calif, had heavy rains forced postponement of their game last night against the Orioles. 

Wakefield, who allowed four runs on five hits, including a pair of home runs, and a walk in two innings, will receive another five days of rest before he returns to the mound Monday against the Devil Rays at Tampa Bay. Had the game resumed last night, Wakefield would have yielded to Bronson Arroyo, whose next start would have been affected.

The knuckleballer welcomed the extra rest. He threw 40 pitches in the two innings. Wakefield surrendered a solo homer to Melvin Mora in the first inning and a two-run shot to B.J. Surhoff in the second before the Orioles picked up another run in the second inning on consecutive singles by Jerry Hairston and Karim Garcia, a walk to Javy Lopez, and an RBI ground out by David Newhan.

But the Sox began to rally in third inning after Bill Mueller drew a leadoff walk. A batter later, Gabe Kapler doubled home Mueller. Johnny Damon then singled home Kapler, making it 4-2. Lopez got Mark Bellhorn to fly out for the second out before the rain began falling so hard the game was delayed at 8 p.m. It was called after a 1-hour-16-minute delay.