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He might do it twice.
In what could be his final start in a Boston uniform, Schilling held the Rockies to one run over 5 1-3 innings in Game 2 of the Series on Thursday night to lead the Red Sox to a 2-1 victory over Colorado and open a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Schilling struck out four while allowing four hits and two walks and gave Boston a chance to sweep the Series at Coors Field. Unless the Rockies can win twice at home to force a sixth game, Schilling has pitched his last game before he becomes eligible for free agency.
If he leaves, Schilling will have accomplished his professed goal and so much more: In four years, he has become a hero at Fenway and across the blogosphere, and a potential Hall of Famer.
With this start, Schilling's career postseason record improved to 11-2. Included among those wins were his famous bloody sock victories over the New York Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals in 2004, on the way to Boston's first World Series title in 86 years.
Schilling's victory gives Boston a chance to repeat the feat. Holding a 2-1 lead, he left to a deafening ovation, doffing his cap and waving it at all corners of the ballpark. Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon finished up the five-hitter for the Red Sox.
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Fresh off the disappointment of Boston's disaster at Yankee Stadium in the 2003 ALCS, general manager Theo Epstein and his staff flew to Schilling's house in Arizona to persuade him to waive his no-trade clause and accept a lucrative contract extension with the Red Sox.
They haggled over salaries. They pored over the numbers that showed Fenway Park wouldn't be so bad for a fly-ball pitcher. And they threw in a few of the standard perks: a hotel suite on the road, an All-Star bonus, a luxury suite for his family at home games when he starts.
But before signing the deal, Schilling got Epstein to throw in one more, unprecedented incentive: If the Red Sox won the World Series during his tenure, Schilling would get a $2 million bonus and the fourth year of his contract became guaranteed.
That year was this year.
[Associated Press;
by Jimmy Golen]
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
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