« Ortiz' two homers not enough, Sox fall, 5-3, to Orioles
Main
Game Story: Orioles 5, Red Sox 3 »
July 31, 2007
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Attention Red Sox Nation: Curt Schilling is back.
The ace of the Red Sox staff ended his rehabilitation stint with the PawSox last night on a strong note at Cooper Stadium, and Pawtucket scratched out a 10th-inning run to sneak away with a 5-4 win, a split of the four-game set and the eight-game road trip.
“I’m healthy, I feel good, I feel strong and I’m ready to go back and help
(Boston) them,” Schilling said.
Over 7,100 fans flocked to see Schilling, many of them clad in the familiar red-and-blue Red Sox gear, clamoring for a up close and personal look at the 6-foot-5, 235-pounder.
The big man didn’t disappoint. He threw seven solid innings, scattering just four hits. Schilling didn’t allow a walk, struck out four and had an early stretch where he retired 10 in a row.
“He’s been very consistent each outing,” PawSox skipper Ron Johnson said.
“(In) all of them, he had above average command. It’s a good time for everybody in The Nation.” At times, it seemed more like a home game for Schilling, kind of a Fenway Park West atmosphere with the throng in attendance cheering loudly when he announced during pre-game introductions, with a smattering of boos mixed in throughout in a place that was the former Triple-A home of the hated New York Yankees.
“This is Red Sox Nation,” Schilling said. “That’s no surprise. They are almost like ants. You always feel like you are at home. They’re going to be fans in every city that are going to be loud enough to make you feel like you are in Boston.” The right-hander threw 21 first-pitch strikes to the 24 batters he faced and had just one three-ball count all night, on Clipper right fielder Abraham Nunez. Even then, he fought all the way back to fan the former Florida Marlin.
“I’ve been watching this guy in the big leagues for a long time and I kind of know what he’s got,” said Nunez, who also managed to get a hit off Schilling. “That splitter is nasty.” In four of the innings, Schilling threw two balls or less and he didn’t throw one in the seventh.
“We threw a lot of strikes and got some quick outs,” Schilling said. “When they made contact, they got some ground ball outs instead of swings and misses. To get up and down seven times, warm up, feel good and strong is a good thing.” Only one of the hits was hard, a two-out single to left by Columbus catcher Juan Brito in the fifth.
Schilling had over a 3-to-1 ratio of strikes to balls on the night, throwing 60 strikes in 77 pitches, a little less than the 90 he anticipated.
Schilling was put on the disabled list June 19 because of tendinitis in his throwing shoulder and made two other rehabilitation starts for Pawtucket, both with glowing results.
He finished the assignment with 18 strikeouts in 15 innings.
George Kottaras has caught Schilling in all three games and was able to give the sure-fire Hall of Famer a bit of input on pitch selection.
“If I had a feeling about something, he told me to put it down there,” said the PawSox catcher. “We were putting much on the same page all night.” Schilling has been able to rebuild his arm strength and work on straightening out his mechanics, which he admitted wasn’t right before hitting the DL.
“I threw a lot of different pitches for strikes, and I worked on my command on a lot of different pitches,” Schilling said.
Schilling headed back to the big club following the game and will make his first appearance back in the starting rotation either for the series finale at Seattle Aug. 5, or open the three-game set against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Aug. 6.
Before going on the disabled list June 19, he was 6-4 for Boston with a 4.20 ERA in 15 starts.
Schilling came within one out of a no-hitter in Oakland June 7, but 11 days later gave up 11 hits in a 9-4 loss to Atlanta.
“This was about Schill,” Johnson said. “I know he was very pleased with it and I’m sure next time he’ll get his shot in the big leagues and he’ll be good to go.” Just like Sunday, left-hander Craig Breslow gave up the lead in the eighth as Columbus erased a 4-0 lead on four hits and a error to tie the game.
But the PawSox got the go-ahead run in the 10th on a bases-loaded walk by Columbus closer Chris Booker (1-5) to Alex Prieto, who finished with a pair of hits and two RBI.
Bryan Corey (4-6) got the final two outs of the ninth to get the win, and closer Travis Hughes allowed just a single in the 10th to earn his 15th save.
--By DONN WALDEN, Special to the Journal
Posted by Chris Venditto 
at 10:48 PM to PawSox
| Permalink
