Thus, Boston 6, Chicago 5, in a win that felt as important as any this season because of who it came against (the team with baseball's best record), when it came (to begin a seven-game road trip), and what the Red Sox had to overcome (a 4-1 deficit to All-Star Game starter Mark Buehrle).
''Huge, huge," said Matt Clement, spared a loss despite allowing four runs on three home runs in six innings. ''You want to start off a road trip like this, especially against the best team in baseball.
''You start off negatively, who knows what it can snowball into. We hope now we can take the snowball and run with it."
There was much to embrace and run with last night.
The Sox bounced Buehrle after six innings plus four batters in the seventh (single, walk, error, intentional walk), marking the first time in 26 starts since last season Buehrle had not completed seven innings, a feat Clement labeled ''awesome."
The Sox rescued Clement, who left the park feeling good about himself despite having allowed 22 earned runs and seven home runs in 23 innings this month.
Curt Schilling pitched the eighth and ninth innings in his first multiple-inning relief appearance of the season (he'd pitched one inning in each of his four previous appearances). He allowed one run, in the eighth, on an RBI double by Crede, who stood to be the hero before becoming the goat. But, Schilling returned for the ninth, and, facing the top of the order, popped up the AL's most creative leadoff hitter, Scott Podsednik, then fanned Tadahito Iguchi and Carl Everett to earn his second win of the season.
''I don't know if I blew them away," said Schilling, who answered in measured tones, careful not to overplay one night's success. ''I can't do what you guys do. I can't look at it every night as an NFL game and break it down."
Postgame, though, that was a fun task last night.
