•HIGHLIGHTS I: Eric Duncan’s two-run double to right in the bottom of the 11th broke a 6-6 tie. Shelley Duncan had walked and Ben Broussard had singled before Eric Duncan got his first hit in his sixth trip to the plate. The game took 4 hours and 17 minutes to play.

Ineffective pitching by PawSox reliever Chris Smith in the 10th inning set the stage for an improbable PawSox rally in the bottom of the 10th. Smith allowed four runs on a hit batsman, a wild pitch, an RBI single, an intentional walk and a three-run homer to No. 8 hitter Chad Moeller on an 0-2 pitch. The PawSox rallied for four runs in the bottom of the inning on five consecutive hits and Dusty Brown’s sacrifice fly. Gil Velazquez and Joe Thurston doubled. After scoring three runs, the PawSox had the bases loaded with no outs but managed only to tie the score on Brown’s fly ball.

•HIGHLIGHTS II: Highly regarded pitcher Phil Hughes made his second rehab start for Scranton and allowed two runs, three hits, struck out four and walked one in 5 1/3 innings. His fastball was in the 90s, and he threw a befuddling changeup. He left in the fifth after Jeff Bailey doubled, Thurston walked and he reached his limit of 84 pitches. Mark Melancon relieved him and threw a wild pitch to Keith Ginter, who eventually blooped a single to center, driving in Bailey and Thurston. After posting an 0-4 record in New York in April, Hughes went on the DL with a stress fracture to his ninth rib. He made two rehab starts with Charleston and threw 4 1/3 innings against the PawSox on Aug. 7. He is still looking for his first victory of 2008.

Pawtucket starter Devern Hansack pitched well for the PawSox, scattering four hits, striking out four and walking two. He gave up a run in the third and another in the sixth.

•HE SAID IT: Scranton leads Pawtucket by 2 ½ games in the battle for first place in the International League North, but PawSox manager Ron Johnson said, “There are a lot of games left, and we’ll take them one at a time.”

•NOTES: The PawSox have 18 games remaining, eight at home; the Yankees have 20 games left. … Pawtucket’s magic number to clinch a playoff spot is 11.

•UP NEXT: PawSox right-hander Edgar Martinez (6-2, 4.03) will pitch against Alfredo Aceves (1-1, 4.91) in the homestand finale at 7:05.

mszostak@projo.com