Tim Wakefield pitched the 29th complete game of his career. He also pitched well enough to win on most afternoons.

When your team fails to score any runs, however, winning is impossible. The Red Sox knuckleballer could have pointed fingers in a few directions, but didn’t following yesterday’s 3-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners.

Catcher Josh Bard couldn’t hold onto Wakefield’s dancing knuckler on a swinging third strike and also couldn’t catch the ball with a runner on third base in Seattle’s three-run third inning.

Wakefield praised his catcher’s efforts.

Right fielder Wily Mo Pena broke in on Raul Ibanez’ liner over his head, which went for a ground-rule double in the three-run Seattle uprising.

Wakefield made no mention of a misplay.

Manager Terry Francona opted to rest two of his starting infielders, second baseman Mark Loretta and third baseman Mike Lowell.

Wakefield also didn’t complain about the Red Sox’ makeshift lineup.

Yuniesky Bettencourt started the third inning for the Mariners with a double to left field. Ichiro Suzuki then struck out swinging on what Wakefield described as his best knuckler of the day, only the ball got by Bard. Suzuki wound up on first base, with Bettencourt advancing to third. One passed ball later, Bettencourt scampered home with the first run of the game. Ibanez hit the double over a confused Pena’s head, scoring Ichiro. Richie Sexson plated Ibanez with a Wall-ball single.

“I’m really disappointed with the way things went in the third inning. I left a ball up to Ibanez that got over Wily Mo’s head and a ball to (Richie) Sexson I thought was a pretty good pitch, but then I looked at it on tape and it was kind of belt high on the inside corner, which is his hot zone,”Wakefield said. “(Joel) Pineiro pitched out of a bases loaded jam, and the opportunities are few and far between from that point in the game. It’s my job to go out there and get my team back in the dugout and I didn’t do a very good job with that.”

From the third inning on, however, Wakefield (1-2) was pretty much lights out, allowing only three hits over the last six innings. Of the three runs, just two were earned. He fanned six and didn’t walk a batter in nine innings.

“Most of the time Wake goes out there, gives up three (runs) and throws a complete game, we’re out there shaking hands and patting him on the back,” Francona said. “He was great.”