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CURT SCHILLING |
THE "IDIOTS" REVERSE THE CURSE
Schilling thoroughly dominates the Rays
April 28, 2004 ... In a resounding return from his personal purgatory, Curt Schilling thoroughly
dominated the Devil Rays for 7 1/3 innings to propel the Sox to a 6-0 victory before 35,120 in the opener of a three-game, two-day homestand at Fenway Park. Schilling scattered five hits, walked none, and struck out eight to help lift the division-leading Sox to their fourth straight victory and orchestrate his redemption.
Schilling, who received all the support he needed when one mighty swing of Jason Varitek's maple bat produced a two-run homer, improved to 3-1 with a 3.31 ERA and made certain he suffered no calamity like he did in Toronto.
Varitek, Schilling's prized catcher, walloped his two-run shot off Tampa Bay starter Paul Abbott in the fourth inning before he knocked in another run with a bases-loaded single in the seventh. Mark Bellhorn (2 for 2 with a pair of walks) followed Varitek in the seventh
with a two-run single, and Bill Mueller completed the scoring by doubling home Johnny Damon in the eighth. After batting only .234 on their 5-1 road swing through Toronto and the Bronx, the Sox collected 12 hits, including five for extra bases, against Abbott and two relievers.
But it was hardly a cakewalk as Abbott waged a stiff challenge until the seventh. Abbott has baffled the Sox through the years, as he showed with his career record entering the game (2-1, 1.88 ERA in eight appearances). The last time he faced the Sox at Fenway (Sept. 3,
2000), he one-hit them over 7 2/3 innings. And he took a run at matching Schilling last night as he spotted the Sox only the two runs until they wore him down in the seventh.
Once Schilling weathered some early trials, including taking a searing shot off his right foot by Aubrey Huff in the first inning, he grew increasingly formidable. He fanned Toby Hall with a 97-mile- per-hour heater to end the seventh and got Rey Sanchez to fly out
before he yielded to Alan Embree. From there, the Sox' bullpen was perfect, as Embree finished the eighth and Lenny DiNardo did the honors in the ninth, extending the relief crew's streak of scoreless innings to 26 1/3.
Nomar Garciaparra did some light running at Fenway and will take some more ground balls today. He will be reevaluated Monday as he continues to increase his workload in the hope he can avoid a recurrence of the discomfort associated with his right Achilles' tendonitis.
Ramiro Mendoza, who went on the disabled list April 8 with right shoulder tendonitis, remains inactive as he tries to regain the range of motion he needs to throw. Pokey Reese sat out last night's game with an upper respiratory infection, with Cesar Crespo filling
in at short and batting ninth. |
