The Second Cup: A Wakefield wonder

News and Notes from the area scribes about last night’s Boston beauty:

BOSTON GLOBE

That foul off the knee had Big Papi feeling tender after the win.
Growing pains - Old reliable Gordon Edes writes the Globe’s gamer, leading with the Manny-Ortiz combo’s success, the immediately delving full bore into the extent of Papi’s knee injury. A slightly different take than the other local scribes, as per usual.

Wrong kind of a tear - Globe columnist Jackie MacMullan writes about the growing concern over Big Papi’s knee in another typically smooth read.

Wakefield: It’s his decision - Edes’ notebook leads with Wakefield’s uncanny knack to earn a decision in each start, no matter which side of the ledger it ends up on. Like the ProJo’s Krasner, he spends more time on Manny’s impressive assist on Thomas and the impending readyness of Joel Pineiro and improvement of Schilling, which combines with his gamer for a nice, well-rounded package.

Halladay outing cut short by Sox outburst - Correspondent Daniel Malloy focuses on the surprising struggles of Toronto ace Roy Halladay.

Lugo now walking a fine line - In a brief reprieve from his near constant Foxboro duty, Chris Gasper writes that Julio Lugo, finally above the Mendoza line again, is feeling better about his swing.

Jays a singing a different tune - Malloy writes that despite last night’s setback, Toronto is suddenly healthy and optimistic about the season, a far cry from the start of the year. It’s an interesting piece if for no other reason that the fact that it’s waaaaayyy ahead of the curve. Evidently the Jays think they can get back in the AL East and Wild Card races, though their 11 and 9 games back. A solid read, and if Toronto surges back in, whoever told Malloy to write it, and Malloy himself, will look awfully smart.

BOSTON HERALD

Forget the first half, Manny’s power was back last night, and every writer - and Sox fan - seemed to notice.

Papi, Manny show clout - Jeff Horrigan writes the Herald’s gamer, leading with David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez before touching on Wakefield’s 10th win of the season.

Drew gets a little extra cushion - Horrigan rides again, telling us that J.D. Drew, quite literally, has more cushioning along the right field wall.

Small problem for Big Papi - Rob Bradford exposes Ortiz’s meniscus tear in his right knee, delving into timetables and injury schedules.

Sox should buy into this insurance policy - Going so far as to call the evolving Manny Delcarmen-Hideki Okajima-Jonathan Papelbon connection the “nouveau nasty boys”, Tony Masarotti continues to heap huge praise on the Boston bullpen.

Ortiz not in testy mood - Guess who’s writing the Red Sox Notebook? That’s right, Horrigan chimes in a third time, telling us that Ortiz won’t undergo testing on his wounded knee, Curt Schilling is back on a throwing program and Joel Pineiro is getting closer to a return.

PROVIDENCE JOURNAL

Big bats come out of the gate swinging - Steven Krasner writes the ProJo’s gamer, leading with the big boppers just like Horrigan. I seem to be noticing a trend …

Forget his size, Pedroia immense at plate, in field - Well, this is different. While the Globe and Herald have already produced long-form Dustin Pedroia features, the ProJo gets in the act today, with a nice piece by columnist John Donalds.

Ortiz says knee was hurt in 2006 - Krasner’s notebook leads with Ortiz’s knee injury dating from last year, a point in which the Journal was a date late and dollar short of the Globe and Herald on. But he does do a terrific job of noting Manny’s terrific gun down of Frank Thomas, as well as progress made by Brendan Donnelly in addition to the Herald and Globe’s notes.

– Cameron Smith