Naturally, the Red Sox still think Schilling will turn it around, and they see many positive things even when he gives up nine hits and five runs in six innings against the Devil Rays. They'll say they are happy he was able to throw 97 pitches and they can envision a return to full form by the time it counts.
''Yes, I was encouraged," manager Terry Francona said of Schilling, after watching his team's pulsating 7-6 win in the bottom of the ninth. ''Not with the one inning" -- Schilling gave up four runs in the second -- ''but the rest of it, I was encouraged."
Schilling said, ''I can't go out and pitch the way I did those first two innings. There's just no excuse. I hung four splitters in the first two innings and every one ended up with green paint on it.
''I've got two options: I can quit or get better. I'm going to get better. I'm going to be the guy they count on to throw seven, eight, nine innings every fifth day. And it's going to be sooner rather than later."
Still, we wonder. In the wake of last night's performance, his second start since April, Schilling is 5-6 and his ERA is 6.96. He has given up a whopping 72 hits in just 53 innings. For Schilling, this has the look of a lost season, the final payment for what he put his body through last fall.
The final line score wasn't impressive, but Schilling settled down after giving up five runs and seven hits in two innings against the D-Rays. He cruised through his final four frames, allowing only two singles, a walk, and zero runs.
This was Schilling's second start since the Great Bullpen Experiment. Never wanting to bring attention to himself, Schill took the hill with his freshly-dyed, neon-blond hair glowing under his cap. Lou Piniella probably could have urged plate umpire Ed Montague to make Schilling shave the ultra-bright locks -- hitters could claim to be blinded by the light.
Fenway was unsually flat at the outset.
Maybe it was the long day of intermittent rain, or maybe folks were just nervous about Schill, but the park was quiet and 30 percent empty when Julio Lugo took the first pitch for a strike at 7:06 p.m.
