BOSTON (AP) -Eric Hinske slammed his chin into the ground making a spectacular, run-saving catch, and hit a go-ahead homer two innings later to give the Boston Red Sox a 4-2 win Thursday night and a doubleheader sweep of the Detroit Tigers.
Hinske, making a rare start in place of injured right fielder J.D. Drew, hit his first homer of the season, a two-run shot into Boston’s bullpen in right-center field, to break a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning. Boston won the opener 2-1 behind starter Julian Tavarez’s most effective game of the season.
The sweep increased Boston’s lead in the AL East over the second-place New York Yankees to 9 1/2 games. The last time the Yankees were that far back was after games of Sept. 6, 1997.
Hinske’s go-ahead homer came with two outs against Wilfredo Ledezma (3-1). Brendan Donnelly (2-1) pitched 1 1-3 scoreless innings and Hideki Okajima got his second save, extending his streak of scoreless innings to 19 2-3.
In the opener, Manny Ramirez and Kevin Youkilis drove in runs for the AL East leaders. With his 1,541th RBI, Ramirez moved past Willie Stargell into sole possession of 38th place.
Tavarez (2-4), who lost three of his previous four starts, allowed one run, four singles and four walks and seven innings. Okajima pitched a perfect eighth, and Jonathan Papelbon finished the four-hitter for his 11th save.
Zach Miner (0-1) gave up two runs – one earned – and six hits in 5 1-3 innings in an emergency start for the Tigers.
White Sox 4, Yankees 1
CHICAGO (AP) – Jon Garland limited New York to a run and six hits over seven innings and Jermaine Dye homered and had four RBIs for the Chicago White Sox.
Chicago’s victory came a day after the teams split a day-night doubleheader at U.S. Cellular Field and a day before they both were to start a spirited interleague series. The White Sox go to Wrigley Field on Friday for three games with the Cubs, while the Yankees head to Shea Stadium to play the Mets.
The Yankees had two runners on in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings but couldn’t score against Garland (3-2) until Doug Mientkiewicz hit a two-out RBI double in the seventh. Garland walked four and struck out two and was backed by three double plays in running his career record to 2-5 against the Yankees. Bobby Jenks pitched the ninth inning to record his 13th save.
Matt DeSalvo (1-1) lasted only 3 1-3 innings in his third major league start, giving up six hits and four runs.
Indians 2, Twins 0
CLEVELAND (AP) – Fausto Carmona outpitched Johan Santana again, and Victor Martinez and Ryan Garko homered in a three-pitch span off Minnesota’s ace in the seventh inning, leading the Indians.
Carmona (5-1) allowed four hits for his first career shutout and complete game, a 121-pitch performance that beat Santana (4-4) for the second time in less than a month.
The Indians swept the three-game series and improved to 5-0 this season against one of their AL Central rivals. The Twins have lost seven of eight.
On April 24, Carmona snapped a personal 11-game losing streak by defeating Santana, the two-time Cy Young Award winner. The 23-year-old Carmona won his next start five days later, but he became the odd-man out in Cleveland’s rotation when Cliff Lee came off the disabled list.
Royals 7, Athletics 4
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – Scott Elarton got his first victory since last July and slumping Mike Sweeney had a pair of hits for Kansas City.
The Royals, who were 0-10 when opponents started lefties, got to Dallas Braden (1-3) early. Making his fourth major league start, Braden allowed five runs and six hits in 5 1-3 innings.
Elarton (1-0) gave up four runs and six hits in 5 1-3 innings, getting his first win since July 16 at Detroit. The right-hander made his second start of the season after missing the final 71 games last year and the first 36 this year because of shoulder surgery.
Joakim Soria finished for his eighth save in 10 chances.
Bobby Crosby hit a second-inning home run and drove in two runs as the A’s lost two in a row for the first time since ending a three-game slide on April 28.
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