G40: Red Sox 4, Tigers 2

Me, at 3:51 this afternoon:

[The East lead] can be 9.5 after tonight if all goes well.

All went well.

Eric Hinske, after sprinting, diving, and catching a line drive hit towards the right-field corner in the fifth inning, landing hard, smashing his face against the dirt track in foul territory, crushed a two-run home run in the seventh inning, breaking a 2-2 tie.

Schilling (6-8-2-4-6, 118) was somehow able to allow four walks, 1 hit batter, seven doubles and a home run and still come away with only two runs allowed. The Tigers left the bases loaded in the first and second innings.

Dear Yankees:

***

Edes:

Terry Francona said David Ortiz was ill and almost scratched from the first game. He will sit out tonight's game, Francona said, with Manny serving as DH and Wily Mo Pena playing left field. Francona said J.D. Drew will try to play tonight, but he wanted to watch him hit in the cage first before he made that decision.

Ortiz was 0-for-3 (4-3, BB, 4-3, K) in the afternoon game.

***

Chad Durbin (5.08, 84 ERA+) / Curt Schilling (3.63, 120 ERA+)

Durbin has a 2.13 ERA in his last four starts.

(This afternoon: White Sox 4, Yankees 1. We lead the second-place Yankees by 9 games.)