VICTOR MARTINEZ

THE "IDIOTS" REVERSE THE CURSE
The Red Sox can't do it when it counts

May 3, 2004 ... Curt Schilling played his role smartly last night, ceding the Indians only two runs over seven innings to give the Sox every opportunity to avoid opening May with a fourth straight loss for the first time in 16 years. Trouble was, the Sox offense continued to gain as much traction as a pick-up truck with four blown tires.

Stymied yet again by their woeful inability to deliver in the clutch, Terry Francona's crew bowed quietly before Cleveland starter Jake Westbrook and a trio of relievers in a dispiriting 2-1 loss before 16,285 in the chill at Jacobs Field.

Terribly wrong? How about going 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position to drop their league-worst average to .216? Or going hitless in their only at-bat with the bases loaded to fall to .189 in those situations? Or stranding 13 runners to increase their season total to 222, tops in the majors? Or suffering their final indignity by stranding Damon as former Sox farmhand Rafael Betancourt dispatched them for his first save of the season and only the second of his career?  Wrong enough? The Sox ended four innings with runners on third base. The loss shaved Boston's lead over the Yankees to a mere game, which might be dire if there weren't 137 games to play.

As a measure of how difficult the curse-breaking business could be, Schilling lost a chance to improve to 4-1 even as he lowered his ERA to 3.19 by scattering seven hits and a walk. His only damaging mistake was a fastball Victor Martinez swatted for a two-run homer with two out in the first inning.  Martinez jumped on the fastball and jolted it 400 feet to right for a two-run homer, all the runs the Indians needed.

The once-mighty Sox lineup has hit .143 (4 for 28) with runners in scoring position over the last three games and has scored a total of only 10 runs over the last four games. Sox batters let the game slip away. They mustered their sole run in the seventh inning when David Ortiz doubled home Damon, who had walked and taken second on Bill Mueller's walk. Otherwise, there was a litany of futility.

Nothing about knee surgeries should amaze Ellis Burks, who has had six of them. Still, both Burks and his surgeons were a bit surprised to find that he had played nearly the first three weeks of the season with two cartilage tears in his left knee. Doctors began the procedure believing there was one tear.  If his rehab continues to proceed smoothly, Burks said, he hopes to return within a month. He plans to fly back to Boston Thursday with the Sox to continue his program. With Burks out, Brian Daubach has benefited the most, starting four of the last five games.

Kansas City outfielder Carlos Beltran edged Manny Ramirez for April player of the month honors by batting .316 with 8 homers and 19 RBIs. Ramirez hit .338 with 5 homers and 16 RBIs.

Schilling's six strikeouts tonight gave him 2,587 for his career, vaulting him past Warren Spahn (2,583) for 20th place on the all-time list.