Hurting put on by Ortiz

"It was a no-doubter," said Schilling, who came away with his first win since June 7 after Ortiz's slam climaxed a six-run, fifth-inning rally from a 5-0 deficit against Angels starter Jered Weaver, who glared at Ortiz as he circled the bases after lingering to admire the blast deep into the right-field grandstand.

"You knew it as soon as you heard it," Schilling said. "[Friday], I said something to him when he came down into the dugout after he hit that ball [a two-run double in Game 2 of the doubleheader], I said, 'It's time for you to start carrying us a little bit.' And he had the swagger about him yesterday that said, 'OK, I want to.' And that's nice."

Ortiz acknowledged that Schilling had delivered that message, but said the pitcher might need to put a few other people on notice as well.

"He came to me and told me that," Ortiz said, "but he'd better talk to the pitchers out there, too."

The slam was the seventh of Ortiz's career, and his 21st home run of the season, after he'd moaned earlier in the week that he wasn't sure he'd even reach 20. Last night, he again ran through his litany of reasons why the home runs have been harder to come by: pitchers who would sooner set their hair on fire than throw him a pitch to hit, sea breezes that conspire to knock down his mightiest blasts, a home ballpark designed to frustrate the boppers who play there on a nightly basis.

"Somebody told me the other day, a writer, that they're making the ball differently this season, that's why home runs are down," Ortiz said. "I didn't say anything, but it got me thinking."

But what about the legendary red seat in the right-field bleachers marking the spot where Ted Williams hit Fenway's longest home run?

"Look at the ball I hit tonight," Ortiz said, laughing. "That was 25 rows away from the red seat. You think anybody can hit a ball harder than that? They can all come and kiss my [expletive]."

Just as the Sox needed a pick-me-up from Ortiz to stay five games ahead of the Yankees in the American League East, they needed similar reassurance from the bullpen that it, too, will remain intact down the stretch.