01:00 AM EDT on Sunday, September 26, 2004

BY SEAN McADAM
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- Tim Wakefield didn't snap his four-game winless streak last night, but that doesn't mean there wasn't improvement for the knuckleballer.

Wakefield pitched into the seventh inning in the Sox' 12-5 win over the New York Yankees and allowed five hits and five runs, though only three were earned. He walked two and struck out one.

"I think I was pretty much dead on all night," said Wakefield. "I didn't have a lot of strikeouts tonight, but I felt confident in the way I threw the ball today."

Four of the five runs off Wakefield were the result of two two-run doubles by Jorge Posada.

"Other than those two pitches," Wakefield said, "I felt I pitched well."

He credited the retired major league knuckleballer Charlie Hough, who was brought in to work with Wakefield at the behest of pitching coach Dave Wallace.

"He helped a lot," said Wakefield. "It's just nice to talk to somebody who did what I'm doing for such a long time. He gave me a lot of confidence. He watched me throw the other day and basically just made some minor mechanical adjustments on me that got me back on track a little bit."

"I thought there was a lot of improvement tonight," said manager Terry Francona. "It wasn't as consistent as it needs to be or what he's been. But I thought he took some steps toward getting there."

Fallout lingers

A day after Pedro Martinez failed to hold a one-run lead against the Yankees, his outing -- and subsequent remarks -- were still the talk of Fenway Park as the Red Sox and Yankees played the middle game of their three-game series.

Martinez showed frustration after the 6-4 loss, and said he wished the Yankees would "disappear" so he wouldn't have to face them again.

Francona said he was unaware of Martinez's comments, but after having them relayed, downplayed their significance.

"He's a pretty good competitor," Francona said. "I know if we had to play them again [in the postseason], I wouldn't have no problem with him going back out there."

The doubt expressed by Martinez, however, shocked some other members of the organization, including one official who said: "He's the last guy I would expect to say something like that."

Criticism has been aimed at Francona for staying with Martinez too long -- Martinez had 101 pitches before taking the mound in the eighth and remained in after Hideki Matstui's game-tying homer.

Francona dismissed comparisons linking Friday's game with Boston's loss in Game 7 of the ALCS last October.

"I've got to tell you -- [Friday] night was [Friday] night," he said. "I can't manage different because of [the past]."

Martinez needed 31 pitches to get through the previous three innings and Francona noted "those were, by far, his best innings in terms of command. I had no reason to take him out [before the eighth].

"If I had taken Pedro out and lost, Red Sox Nation would be more forgiving with me, but I don't think I could live with myself. I wish we would have won. But when you sit back after a loss, I would like someone to show me what would have been better before it happened."

Francona was soundly booed every time he came out of the dugout from the eighth inning on, but said: "I would never let people's emotions affect my judgment. If [fan reaction] affects what I do, then they've got the wrong person managing. And I don't think they do."

Brown's coming back

Yankee pitcher Kevin Brown worked out for about five minutes yesterday afternoon at Fenway Park and immediately realized he could return to New York's starting rotation today.

Brown, who played catch with his new heavily padded glove and took ground balls, will start for the Yankees today. The right-hander broke his left hand three weeks ago after punching a wall in the clubhouse after a tough outing.

"I had no problem with [the hand]," said Brown. "That's the final hurdle and now I can get my feet wet before the playoffs."

Originally, Brown was slated to be sidelined for five to six weeks, and he wanted to make it clear he wasn't returning prematurely because he feels guilty for his actions.

"It's not about an apology," he said. "It's a step of reassurance and I had no adverse effects. My job is to pitch well and help the team win, and I'm doing what I can."

Yankee manager Joe Torre did not know yesterday how long Brown would be able to last, but the Yanks are hoping to get three or four innings from the right-hander.

Ready and waiting

Scott Williamson is frustrated over infrequent use, having pitched just once in the previous six games before last night.

"We're running out of time," Williamson said before last night's game. "I need to go out there. The only way my velocity is going to come back is by pitching in games."

Williamson has been trying to stay active by throwing bullpen sessions and long tossing, but he says it's not the same.

"It feels like spring training to me," Williamson said. "I don't feel pain when I throw. It's just one of those things where I need to go out and throw [more]."

Francona would like to see how Williamson responds to pitching back-to-back games, but must pick his spots.

"We're right in the middle of a pennant race," said the manager. "It's kind of unique."

Weather watching

The Red Sox are closely monitoring Hurricane Jeanne to determine how it will affect their travel plans to Tampa tonight.

The Sox have a charter set for 6 p.m. departure this evening, but have a backup plane ready for 8 a.m. tomorrow if weather intercedes.

Around the horn

Ellis Burks' next appearance will be his 2,000th game, making him just the 200th player to reach that milestone. . . . Johnny Damon's 80 RBI out of the leadoff spot (two others have come from another spot in the batting order) have him tied for 15th on the all-time list for most RBI by a leadoff hitter. Darrin Erstad holds the major-league mark with 100 RBI in 2000; Nomar Garciaparra holds the Red Sox mark with 98 in his rookie season of 1997.

The Red Sox went over the 2.8 million mark in attendance for the first time in club history last night. They're officially at 2,802,722 with one more home date . . . Johnny Damon has scored at least one run in 24 of his last 25 games . . . Despite not joining the team until Aug. 1, Orlando Cabrera is tied for second on the team in sacrifice flies with six . . . The Sox' 54 wins at home are the most since 1978 when they finished with 59.

Journal reporter Joe McDonald contributed to this report.