Whats Better Than One Win On Thursday?? TWO!

Thats right! The Red Sox won both halves of a day night doubleheader at home against Detroit on Thursday, gaining them all kinds of momentum going into a weekend Interleague Series against the Atlanta Braves. Read about the pleasant carnage here!

(Lugo Scored in game one.)
(Papelbon got the save.)

The first game was all about the surprising performance of fifth starter Julian Tavarez, as the Red Sox won 2-1. Adding to the string of great pitching performances by Sox starters, Tavarez truned in the following line:

7IP 4H 1ER 4BB 3K

This was good enough to out pitch a decent start by the Tigers Zach Miner. Manny Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis both had RBI singles to account for the scoring. Papelbon pitched the ninth for his eleventh save.

(This is the dive Hinske missed, the other was cooler.)
(Hinske hits a home run too!)(Okajima gets the save.)

Between a game-saving catch and a game-deciding homer, Thursday night was made for Eric Hinske.

Hinske's seventh-inning two-run homer into the Boston bullpen was the difference as the Red Sox completed a day-night doubleheader sweep of the Tigers, 4-2, at Fenway.

Hinske, starting in right field for the injured J.D. Drew, helped Schilling with the catch of the night, diving for and catching a drive down the right-field line off the bat of Mike Rabelo.

"No, I don't even remember it," Hinske said of his up-close-and-personal meeting with the warning track. "I just remember looking up at my glove to make sure the ball was still in there, because usually it bounces out. I would have looked bad if that ball got by me, but I committed and was able to come up with it."

The spectacular catch, coming with runners on second and third and two outs, ended Detroit's fifth-inning rally. Hinske lay on his stomach for several moments after his chin snapped into the warning-track dirt.

"It was all over my mouth, eyes and nose," Hinske said. "The back of my neck is kind of sore right now. They told me I would have kind of whiplash symptoms tomorrow, but the adrenaline's going now, so I'm happy."

"Unbelievable," said a grateful Schilling. "One of the best catches I have ever seen anywhere."

Then came the bottom of the seventh. With the score tied at 2, Hinske drilled a fastball from Tigers reliever Wilfredo Ledezma (3-1) into the Boston bullpen with Jason Varitek aboard. A triumphant Hinske raised his fist as he rounded first base.

Brendan Donnelly pitched an inning and one third for the win, and Hideki Okajima, who pitched in both games, pitched the ninth for the save.

With the sweep the Red Sox ran their Record to 28-12 and their lead in the AL east to 9 and one-half games.


GO SOX!

TomC