Heading into last night’s start, Curt Schilling called this season “very, very painful.” He admitted it was by far the toughest year of his major-league career.
If the Red Sox fail to make the playoffs because Schilling faltered last night, the pain may never subside.
Boston’s brash right-hander squandered a chance to gain ground on Cleveland and the Yankees by surrendering five earned runs over 6 1/3 innings, a mediocre start in which he admitted he “just pitched horribly.”
Toronto scored the go-ahead run in the eighth off relievers Chad Bradford and Craig Hansen and managed another run in the ninth to split the doubleheader with a 7-5 victory.
“Five days left in the season, and we’ve got a winnable game there with a chance to be in first place all alone,” Schilling said. “With me on the mound – in my mind, that’s a lock.
“That’s probably the most frustrating thing.”
Boston won the twinbill opener, 3-1, behind seven sterling innings from Tim Wakefield, who three-hit the Jays.
The Sox began the day a half-game behind the Indians and Yanks but couldn’t make yesterday a memorable moment in Red Sox history with a double-header sweep.
Still, they’re tied in both races with five games remaining.
“We’d be kidding ourselves if this weekend wasn’t going to be the culmination of the season,” Johnny Damon said. “It’s the master plan.
“It’s God’s way: Yankees-Red Sox.”
Schilling was staked to a 3-0 lead by the start of the fourth and brought a 5-2 advantage into the fifth, but he seemed to tire around that time.
Gregg Zaun touched him for a two-run homer down the right-field line in the fourth, and three hits and a sac fly in the fifth brought Toronto within a run.
With a sellout crowd of 35,476 standing in the seventh trying to push him through, Schilling allowed an RBI single to center by Vernon Wells to tie the game.
“We couldn’t spread out the game when we needed to,” manager Terry Francona said. “When we did spread it out, we couldn’t stop them.”
Things are not fantastic in the Boston clubhouse, either, despite the team’s record. Schilling exposed his raw feelings and a team rift in an interview published in yesterday’s Boston Globe.
Last week, an anonymous teammate griped to the Boston Herald that Schilling has been given a free pass by fans despite struggling this year.
The player said, “When he comes into the game, people cheer him like he’s the Pope? You think they’d let Pedro [Martinez] get away with this? Why does he get a free pass?”
Schilling responded, “Somebody on this team wants me to get booed to make them feel better, and that really bothers me a lot.”
Schilling thinks he knows who knifed him but wouldn’t say publicly. Schilling sidestepped questions about the quarrel after the game because “it doesn’t have anything to do with the outcome of the game.”
In the opener, Boston took a 2-0 lead in the first and Wakefield allowed only three hits. Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz drove in all the runs.
Schilling is scheduled to start the regular-season finale against Mike Mussina, who was even worse for the Yanks last night against the Orioles.
“He’s our ace,” Damon said. “It’s a tough loss.
“But he’s going to be fine for New York. It could come down to that one game. I know Schilling’s going to show up.”
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Wild-card hunt
Yankees (92-65)
Tonight-Sept. 29 at Orioles
Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at Red Sox
Indians (92-65)
Tonight-Sept. 29 vs. Devil Rays
Sept. 30-Oct. 2 vs. White Sox
Red Sox (92-65)
Today-Sept. 29 vs. Blue Jays
Sept. 30-Oct. 2 vs. Yankees