Saturday's game

The offense held up its end of the bargain, scoring nine runs, and Schill did more than keep it close. Schilling (6-7) turned in his best outing of the season, giving up five hits and striking out six in eight innings Saturday as the Sox hammered the
Stinkins 9-2.

Schilling, a big-time pitcher in big-time games, always seems to come through in the most important situations.

In a reversal of Friday's fortunes, this time it was the Stinkins' turn to make costly errors. In the fourth, Shawn Chacon delivered a poor throw to catcher John
Flaherty on what otherwise would have been an easy double play, Hideki Matsui misjudged and dropped a routine sac fly off the bat of David Ortiz, and a hard
takeout slide by Trot Nixon sent a Robinson Cano throw into the stands. The Sox took advantage of the extra outs, plating six runs in the frame.

Like I said, you can't play defense like that in September and win.

The win puts the Sox 4 games ahead of the Stinkins in the AL East. Oakland and Cleveland both won, meaning that the Indians lead the Wild Card race by 1.5 games
over Oakland and the Stinkins, who are now tied for second in the WC race.

NOTES: Manny Ramirez hit a first-inning home run, his first since August 21 ... John Olreud led off the six-run fourth inning with a shot to the upper deck in right field. ... John Papelbon pitched a scoreless ninth for the Sox. ... Johnny Damon sat out the game with a sore shoulder. The Stinkins were without Gary Sheffield, who is nursing a thigh injury, and Jorge Posada, who jammed his right shoulder in a collision with Jason Varitek Friday.