Most Major League baseball starting pitchers’ boyhood dream is to pitch a perfect game or a no hitter. Curt Schilling (6-2) fell just short against the Oakland Athletics (31-28) on a Julio Lugo error in the fifth inning ended the chance at the perfecto and a hit off the bat of Shannon Stewart in the bottom of the ninth with two outs ended his bid for the no-no.
Schilling completed the game only striking out four, walking none, and throwing 100 pitches (71 for strikes) in his outing against an A’s lineup that grounded out 11 times and flew out 12 times.
Stewart’s hit to break up the no-hitter came on a Schilling fastball, catcher Jason Varitek wanted a different pitch: a slider. Schilling shook off Varitek’s call and Stewart lined the base hit past the dive of the second baseman.
Schilling was near masterful throughout the game only reaching a three-ball count once. This was Schilling’s third career one-hit performance.
One lone run was scored in this game and it came off the bat of slugger David Ortiz in the very first inning, after that it was a pitcher’s duel.
Ortiz (11) homered to right off of Athletics’ starter Joe Blanton who pitched well himself going 7 1/3 innings, on four hits, one earned run, three walks, two strikeouts, and one homerun.
Schilling snapped the Boston Red Sox four game losing streak improving their record to 38-21 and certainly boosted the morale of Red Sox Nation who seemed to be getting worried with the recent down fall in play from the club.
