Coming up short

"A loss,'' said the 38-year-old righthander, who hadn't pitched in a major-league game since Game 2 of the World Series Oct. 24.

He lost because of what happened with two pitches, Nos. 103 and 108.

"It wasn't fatigue and leaving a fastball up,'' Schilling contended. "It was yanking a slider and hanging a split.''

Jason Giambi, serenaded with the usual ``Steroids'' chant, lined a 2-and-1 Schilling slider into the seats in right with one out and Jorge Posada aboard in the sixth, snapping a 2-2 tie.

"The one to Jason was supposed to be a slider away, and I threw it down and in,'' said Schilling, who gave up nine hits. "Couldn't miss by more than I missed.''

Schilling collected himself, recorded a Tino Martinez ground out, then left a 1-1 slider up to Bernie Williams, who was hitting ninth in the lineup for the first time since 1995. The Yankees center fielder looked a bit off-balance but whipped his bat through the zone, lining the ball over the Sox bullpen in right-center.

That was it for Schilling. His 108th pitch, and 78th strike, was his last. Manager Terry Francona, who before the game said Schilling could go as many as 110 pitches, popped out of the dugout, causing Schilling to turn his back and kick the clay off his cleats. Last season Schilling didn't surrender two home runs in one game until his 16th start, when Philadelphia's Pat Burrell and David Bell took him deep June 27.

Francona and Schilling both shot down the appearance of fatigue at that stage in the game.

Said Schilling: "I had a spring training. I threw close to 30 innings, regardless of who or where. I felt ready.''

Said Francona: "If I thought he was fatigued, I would have taken him out.''

At 0-1, Schilling already has matched his total number of losses at Fenway Park last season, when he went 12-1 with a 3.45 ERA in the Back Bay. His only loss was to new teammate John Halama, then with Tampa Bay.

On paper, Schilling should not have lost last night. He threw 72.2 percent of his pitches for strikes, far higher than the 50.5 percent (49 of 97) by Yankees starter Jaret Wright. Wright walked four and struck out two, while Schilling struck out five and walked one.