You could tell the pressure of spring training was really getting to Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield.

There he was, a couple of hours before his final official Grapefruit League start, behind the second-base screen trying to teach Daisuke Matsuzaka a knuckleball and having a jolly old time in the process.

"I tried to teach him one - he's got no chance,'' Wakefield said.

Wakefield's signature pitch is doing just fine, as most of his 88 offerings in yesterday's 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates were good enough for a 40-year-old counting the days to the season opener. Wakefield went six innings and allowed six hits and three runs, with five strikeouts and one walk.

Through five spring starts, Wakefield is 0-1 with a 4.29 ERA. He has one more tune-up against minor leaguers scheduled for Sunday before getting his first regular-season start in Texas on April 6.

"I was ready last week - I think I threw 88 pitches and I still felt like I had gas in the tank,'' said Wakefield, who noted nothing out of the ordinary had occurred at camp to make this spring, his 12th in Fort Myers, stand out from the others. "No, not off the top of my head - same old, same old. I'm trying to build my pitch count up and I accomplished that. I'm ready to get the season started and do the right things.'' There is very little new under the sun for Wakefield or his longtime observers. His longevity and durability have nearly been taken for granted but given that he is coming off his first injury-filled season, the knuckleballer's performances will be monitored more closely this season. Wakefield's first start will be at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, where he has pitched his worst (4-10, 5.95 ERA). That may put him at a disadvantage, but it is impossible to predict his performance any given night. At the end of each season, his numbers are as consistent as Wakefield is cool, calm and collected - before, during and after he pitches.

"It's not my favorite park to pitch in but regardless of the results, I feel confident when I go in there,'' said Wakefield.