G114: Red Sox 9, White Sox 8

I was hoping David Ortiz would triple in his final at-bat last night, so he'd hit for the cycle. It's not so crazy -- Ortiz tripled three times last year and has legged out one three-bagger this season.

But considering the final score, it was probably better that he instead crushed a three-run home run to dead center. It was his second tater of the night and it gave him a career-high six runs batted in to go with his four hits. The eighth-inning shot was also his 100th home run with Boston.

Ortiz's first three hits came off lefty Mark Buehrle. Tiz is hitting .305 against LHP this year (and .362 against them at Fenway). Part of his increased success is because of

Ramon, Luis, and Frank. Ramon is Ramon de los Santos, the scout who originally signed Ortiz for the Seattle Mariners just after Ortiz turned 17, almost 13 years ago. Luis and Frank, well, they're just Luis and Frank, Ortiz unable to recall their last names. But they have this in common: They all throw lefthanded, and they all are enlisted by Ortiz in the offseason to throw to him on the island.

"One throws a sinker," Ortiz said. "One throws a curveball. One throws pitches all over the place. Those are the guys who pretty much throw to me in the offseason. ... Those guys give me a pretty good idea of what lefties are trying to do."

The Red Sox maintained their five-game lead in the East though they got a bit of a scare when, with two outs in the ninth, Curt Schilling allowed a home run, a single and another home run in a span of seven pitches. It cut the Sox's lead from 9-5 to 9-8, but Schilling got Aaron Rowand looking for the game's final out.

David Wells, feeling out of sorts this week with headaches and sinus trouble, allowed two runs in each of the first two innings before settling down. He lasted 6.2 innings and for the fourth consecutive start did not issue a walk. ... It was the 12th straight home win for the Red Sox, their longest streak since setting an American League record with 24 straight in 1988. Their last loss at Fenway was July 18 against Tampa Bay.

Trot Nixon, at least a week away from being activated, will take batting practice today. ... Keith Foulke hopes to throw batting practice next week in Detroit.

Garland / Wakefield at 7:00.