"We didn't knock the ball around the ballpark," said Francona, the 44th manager in the franchise's 104-year history, "but when you get a start like that and then your bullpen comes in and gives you a seven, eight, and nine like that, that just warms your heart."
The victory came with a price as Manny Ramirez left the game with a bruised right quadriceps and Kevin Millar was ushered away with a bloody nose after colliding with Johnny "Crash" Damon. But neither injury was considered serious, which also warmed some hearts.
Even Schilling could take a measure of relief in the afterglow. He had prepared for the moment for months, laboring with Nomar Garciaparra in a boot-camp training program in Arizona, spending seven weeks refining his pitching in Florida, hunching for countless hours over computers devising an intricate game plan to torment the Birds. Then he did it, overcoming an unusual level of personal anxiety in his debut and stifling the O's on six hits and a walk over six innings. Schilling surrendered only a run before he grudgingly accepted Francona's edict that throwing 108 pitches was enough for one day.
"I never really felt like I relaxed and got comfortable," he said, "but we had a good game plan going in and we stuck to it."
The secret of Schilling's success was keeping the Orioles on the defensive. He threw first-pitch strikes to the first 10 batters he faced and 18 of 24 overall. But he indicated he was most pleased for Foulke, who had generated concern throughout the ranks of fans and Sox execs alike by struggling badly in spring training. All Foulke did after posting a 15.00 ERA in the exhibition season and looking almost ordinary was suddenly regain the stuff that made him the league's top closer last year with the A's.
"I'm so happy for Foulkie to go out there and do exactly what he's been doing," Schilling said. "A whole lot of people can hopefully shut up for 24 hours."
