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The Legendary Troll King
Hinske, a former AL rookie of the year with Toronto but a seldom-used spare part with Boston, put a dramatic stamp on the sweep.
With Boston trailing 2-1 and Detroit's Marcus Thames on second with two outs in the fifth, Mike Rabelo hit a fly ball that the wind carried away from Hinske. He dived parallel to the ground and held the ball despite hitting the warning track face first. He stayed down for a short time before trotting off the field to an ovation.
Rabelo called it "the most amazing catch I've ever seen."
Boston manager Terry Francona said Hinske "willed himself to catch that ball."
The dirt, "was all in my eyes, in my mouth," Hinske said. "I was OK. In my mind, unless you've got to carry me off on a stretcher (he'll play). I don't get the chance to play that often."
His two-run homer, his first of the year, came off Wilfredo Ledezma (3-1) and broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh. Jason Varitek was on first after a forceout that followed Mike Lowell's single. With a 2-0 count, Hinske hit the ball over the fence, pumping his right arm in the air as he rounded first base.
He reached the dugout with a big smile and was embraced by David Ortiz, who missed the game because he wasn't feeling well. Ortiz went 0-for-3 in the opener.
"It's fitting in that situation that he was able to do that," Varitek said.
With Boston trailing 2-1 and Detroit's Marcus Thames on second with two outs in the fifth, Mike Rabelo hit a fly ball that the wind carried away from Hinske. He dived parallel to the ground and held the ball despite hitting the warning track face first. He stayed down for a short time before trotting off the field to an ovation.
Rabelo called it "the most amazing catch I've ever seen."
Boston manager Terry Francona said Hinske "willed himself to catch that ball."
The dirt, "was all in my eyes, in my mouth," Hinske said. "I was OK. In my mind, unless you've got to carry me off on a stretcher (he'll play). I don't get the chance to play that often."
His two-run homer, his first of the year, came off Wilfredo Ledezma (3-1) and broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh. Jason Varitek was on first after a forceout that followed Mike Lowell's single. With a 2-0 count, Hinske hit the ball over the fence, pumping his right arm in the air as he rounded first base.
He reached the dugout with a big smile and was embraced by David Ortiz, who missed the game because he wasn't feeling well. Ortiz went 0-for-3 in the opener.
"It's fitting in that situation that he was able to do that," Varitek said.
