G8: Yankees 5, Red Sox 2

Bad Tito. Curt Schilling looked sharp in his first four innings last night, throwing in the low 90s with impeccable control. But the Yankees were fouling off a lot of pitches, so he was working a little harder than normal.

In the fifth, he was clearly tiring. Jason Giambi led off with a single and Tino Martinez doubled him to third. After Bernie Williams popped to short left, Tony Womack walked and Derek Jeter singled. That tied the game at 1-1. Gary Sheffield hit a sacrifice fly to center and it was 2-1, New York. Schilling finished the inning by striking out Hideki Matsui, but his pitch count was now 94.

In the bottom of the fifth, Trot Nixon's solo home run into the Red Sox bullpen re-tied the game, but there was no action in the Boston bullpen. Schilling came out for the fifth and lasted only four batters. Jorge Posada singled and Giambi homered to deep right. Only after Martinez grounded out did Mike Timlin get up.

When Williams homered to right center on Schilling's 108th pitch, Tito finally went to the pen -- which had been fully rested thanks to the day off on Tuesday. Christ. The quartet of Timlin, Blaine Neal, Mike Myers and John Halama kept the Yankees off the board after that, but the Boston bats were silent.

The Red Sox really should have had about six runs by the time Schilling's night was over. It seemed like Jaret Wright was in constant trouble, the Sox only a hit or two away from grabbing a sizeable lead. Wright went to a three-ball count on the first six batters in the third -- he walked three in that inning while throwing 35 pitches -- but the Red Sox scored only once and left the bases loaded. After Wright's five innings, Boston did nothing with Tanyon Sturtze, Tom Gordon and Mariano Rivera.

I missed watching it live, but Kevin Millar tripped and fell coming out of the dugout in the first inning last night. Sarah has a screen shot. ... Kevin Youkilis was sent down to Pawtucket when Schilling was activated. He still has options and with only one off-day over the next month, Francona wanted to go with 12 pitchers. ... So don't be afraid to use them, Tito.

Bronson Arroyo / Randy Johnson at 7:00 tonight.