He gave up a run on a couple of hits to the first two batters of the game, then allowed the Indians just three more singles entering the eighth. He struck out 11, including Asdrubal Cabrera on three pitches with two on and two out to end the fifth, and walked just one. He is now 3-0 with a 1.12 ERA this October, with 26 strikeouts and one walk in 23 innings.
"Hardest event I've ever had to watch," Schilling wrote in an e-mail midgame last night from Boston, where he had already flown to prepare for his Game 6 start, "but I am seeing what I think is one of the most dominating performances in the history of the game and it's a sheer pleasure."
The Indians had a chance to close out the Sox behind their ace, C.C. Sabathia, but Kevin Youkilis homered in the first and later tripled off the glove of indecisive Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore in the seventh, a hit that gave the Sox a 4-1 lead and bid sayonara to Sabathia, who also lost Game 1 to Beckett. The Sox then added three more runs in the eighth, profiting from a throwing error by reliever Rafael Perez and a passed ball, to quiet a crowd of 44,588 that had spent much of its currency on booing Manny Ramírez.
Now it falls on Schilling, who can put up his October résumé against anyone in the history of the game but struggled in Game 2, going just 4 2/3 innings.
"Win or go home," Schilling e-mailed after it was over. "It's very cut and dry. I either clutch up and do what they pay me to do or we go home, pretty simple really. As far as Josh is concerned, that was the most dominating eight innings I've ever seen, in any game. That's a hell of a lineup he just carved up, a damn good team."
If Schilling can prevail against Fausto Carmona, Daisuke Matsuzaka is on track to pitch the game that could put the Sox in the World Series.
"After I lost my last start, Beckett said to me, 'You're going to have another chance to throw,' " Matsuzaka said through translator Masa Hoshino. "I replied to him, 'I would like that very much.'
"Believing that I'm going to have another chance, all I can do is prepare for another start."
