It only took but a split second for his synapses to compute everything and offer an opinion.

"No," Tim Wakefield said, "I can't think of two other regular-season games that I've played in that were like this."

The this that Wakefield is speaking of are his last two starts with the Boston Red Sox, when his knuckleball pitches were part of the ink that was writing history. His mound opponent in those last two games was Roger Clemens, and only all of America was watching.

Roger Clemens is considered by many to be the greatest pitcher of his generation, one of the best of all-time. His record six Cy Young Awards in three different decades have ensured him a bronze bust in Cooperstown. But it's his 300th career victory that the New York Yankee ace most wants now.

The only thing that stood in his way his last two outings was Tim Wakefield.

Well, Wakefield and Boston's bats.

But you get the idea.

Wakefield, the pride of Eau Gallie High and Florida Tech, is like any other professional athlete.

He tries to focus on the task at hand and block out all the periphery. But the periphery that was swirling around him these last two starts was tough to ignore.

First of all, when he and Clemens met May 21 in Boston, it wasn't just Clemens going for his 299th victory, it was Clemens returning to Fenway Park and pitching against the team that he played the bulk of his career with.

ESPN broadcasted the game and former Red Sox nemesis Bucky Dent sat in a seat almost exactly where his historic homer cleared the famed Green Monster on October 2, 1978, propelling the Yankees to the pennant in a one-game playoff.

And when the two pitchers met this past Monday, it was at Yankee Stadium, on Memorial Day, before a capacity crowd, with Clemens going for victory number 300.

Wakefield says both games were "electric" but especially the game earlier this week at Yankee Stadium.

"You try to block everything else out, but you obviously know what's going on," he said. "When you're facing Roger Clemens in Yankee Stadium and he's going for his 300th victory . . . well, it's pretty special. The whole thing had a playoff atmosphere. It's about as exciting as it gets. It gets your competitive juices flowing. Absolutely."

Clemens got the win in Boston, pushing his career mark to 299, but he got the loss in New York. And while Wakefield got the loss in Boston, he picked up the win in New York, placing his season record at 5-2.

Wakefield, though, looks at the bigger picture. After the Yankees had a sizzling April, they have fizzled in May, and Boston has overtaken them for first place in the American League East.

"Last Monday, I was just trying to get the first win of a series for my team," Wakefield said. He did, and it turned out to be Boston's only win in the three-game series. "Beating Roger Clemens wasn't my motivation. I have the utmost respect for Roger and I wish him all the best. I was just trying to help my team win. I wasn't trying to spoil it for Roger. I'm rooting for him to get 300. I really felt bad that he didn't get it in New York in front of all his friends and family. I felt bad . . . but not that bad."

Wakefield is the only Red Sox player still around from the Clemens Era in Boston. Shortstop Nomar Garciaparra overlapped with Clemens when he was called up from the minors late in the 1996 season, but you can hardly count that. It's really Wakefield who is the only link to Clemens' great years in Boston, where he won 192 of his 299 games.

"I wouldn't say Roger is my best friend, but we're pretty good friends," Wakefield said. "It's not like I call him all the time, but I do call him when I'm in the same city. We've had dinner together before. We've stayed friends through the years."

It is Clemens who taught Wakefield so much about game preparation. When Wakefield came to Boston in 1995, it was only his third season in the major leagues.

"I remember looking at guys like Roger Clemens, Jose Canseco, Mo Vaughn, and just being in awe of where I was and who I was around. I would watch how Roger went about his work between starts, how he competed on the field, and it was always all business with him. Regardless of who the opponent was, he always had his game face on. I admired that about him. It was an honor to be his teammate. And I've tried to take that same philosophy he had with me when it's my day to pitch."

It has served him well. Wakefield was 16-8 with a 2.95 ERA that first season with Boston. Now he's in his ninth season with the Red Sox, and those lessons learned have remained with him. His 96 career wins are good enough for ninth in team history. His 332 appearances are fourth in franchise history.

But there is one thing that's missing.

A trip to the World Series.

Right now, the Boston Red Sox lead the New York Yankees and a guy like Tim Wakefield has shown that he can go mano-a-legend with Roger Clemens. The team is playing good baseball and brimming with confidence.

"It's been a fun year so far," Wakefield said. "Sometimes games in May are not very important. But this has been pretty exciting stuff."