In what looked like it may have been a big hitting day, actually turned into a day where the pitching took center stage as Curt Schilling and Joe Blanton battled head to head. But even then it was one man who commanded the spotlight.
The old man, the weathered ace working on the last year of a four year deal in which he brought Red Sox Nation a World Series championship, nearly got something for himself today as he got within one out of no-hitting the Athletics.
Schilling dominant all afternoon, walked no one and struck out four as he shut out Oakland 1-0, retiring 27 of 29 hitters, allowing only the 9th inning single and another runner on an error in getting his third career one-hitter.
The Sox after not hitting much in the last two games got off to a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning off of A’s starter Joe Blanton. With two quick groundouts to start the game, David Ortiz took Blanton deep into the right field seats for his 11th HR to get the Sox on the board. Manny Ramirez followed with a line drive single to center, then J.D. Drew hit a blistering line drive right but it was right at shortstop Marco Scutaro to end the inning. Little did we know but that was all the scoring there would be in this nail bitter.
Meanwhile, Schilling got off to a good start getting three fly outs in the first inning. Though it wasn’t without adventure as Coco Crisp and Drew bumped into each other going for Nick Swisher’s fly ball that was eventually caught by Drew for the final out.
After a first inning where the Sox hit him hard, Blanton worked quick and set down the next 6 hitters before giving up a two out walk in the third inning to Kevin Youkilis. He then got Ortiz to ground out to end the frame. As Blanton left the mound he started to get into it a bit with home plate umpire Ron Kulpa. Nothing came of it but Kulpa sent a message to Blanton through catcher Jason Kendall.
On the other side, Schilling was looking like the dominant ace retiring the first nine A’s in order including Jack Cust and Dan Johnson on strikeouts.
At this point we looked locked into a pitcher’s duel as Blanton had set down another four in a row through four innings after the Youkilis walk. Schilling also continued his mastery of the A’s today setting down the first 12 with three K’s, 6 fly outs and 3 ground outs. He was clearly on his game at this point with most hitters getting first pitch strikes and working with pinpoint control and making short work of hitters. At this point he only had one 3-ball count.
Blanton continued to deal, retiring 7 in a row with a one, two, three fifth getting Jason Varitek to ground out to the mound, Cora to fly out to Swisher and he notched his first strike out getting Crisp to whiff on a foul tip.
Schilling started the Oakland half of the fifth with a fly out to Ramirez by Eric Chavez on a ball that Manny almost over ran with the very high sky during the early afternoon game. Big Schill then grabbed his fourth K on splitter getting Cust for the second time on the afternoon. His streak of 14 in a row was snapped when Julio Lugo booted a ground ball by Johnson for his 7th error of the year. But as he often does, Schilling bore down and got Scutaro to fly out to Drew in right to work around the error. The perfect game was gone but Schilling looked dominant retiring 15 of 16 through the first five.
Blanton was almost as good having allowed only two first inning hits as he worked into the 6th inning. The Kentucky native struck out Lugo to start the 6th, Chavez looking like the human vacuum at the hot corner threw out Youkilis on a ground out. Blanton saw his streak end at 9 in a row when he walked Ortiz; it was the second walk Blanton allowed on the afternoon. Manny ended any idea of some more runs when he flew out to Mark Kotsay in center.
Kotsay led off the 6th with a hard hit ball to deep center but Crisp made a nice running catch tracking the ball down just before the wall to keep the no-hitter in tact. Crisp is now working on 103 straight games without an error. Jason Kendall then flew out to Drew for the second out and Schilling got Shannon Stewart to ground out to Youkilis unassisted at first to end the 6th. Schilling had retired 18 of 19 four on strike outs, 10 fly outs and 4 groundouts.
Drew singled to center to start the top of the 7th, Lowell flew out to Swisher but Blanton started to struggle and fell behind Varitek with Drew running, Varitek singled to center putting runners at the corners with one out. Blanton now up over 100 pitches on the day got Alex Cora to foul out to Chavez who made a nice running catch and Crisp hit a come backer to end the inning and the threat.
Schilling started the 7th inning having thrown only 75 pitches got Mark Ellis to ground to Mike Lowell who booted it but was still able to throw him out. Swisher was retired when Schilling sawed off his bat as he grounded out to Youkilis with Schilling covering the bag.
Schilling twice in his career has gone 7.1 no-hit innings once as a Phillie and once as a Diamondback. He is now at seven batters retired in a row after getting Chavez to ground out to Cora and has retired 21 of 22 hitters.
Lugo starts the 8th by grounding out to Chavez. The Sox will be very happy not to see Chavez for awhile after this week. Youkilis walked for the second time today this brought A’s manager Bon Geren out to remove Blanton. Blanton pitched great but ended up being overshadowed by Schilling. Lefty Ron Flores came in to face Ortiz who with the shift on decided to bunt, the ball was fielded by Kendall who threw to Chavez covering second but Youkilis was safe. When Youk looked up he saw third uncovered and tried to advance but Chavez flipped the ball to Scutaro who out ran Youkilis to tag him out. Colby Lewis was then brought in face Ramirez with two out who grounded out to Ellis.
Schilling began the 8th at an economical 82 pitches got Cust to ground out to Youkilis unassisted. This was the third time Schill has gone 7.1 no-hit innings the last time in 2001 with Arizona. Johnson hits a comebacker to Schilling for the second out of the frame, Scutaro then flies out to Crisp to end the inning. Schilling has now retired 24 of 25 including 10 in a row.
Drew struck out to start the ninth looking on a Lewis fast ball, Lowell flew out to Kotsay bringing up Varitek who grounded out to Ellis to end the ninth.
Schilling at 90 pitches, headed into the ninth and was brilliant.
Kotsay grounds out to Lugo for the first out, Kendall then grounds out on a fastball to Lugo and Schilling stood out one away facing Stewart who grounded the ball past a diving Cora for a base hit to break up the no-hitter. Cora then made a great catch on a foul ball by Ellis to end the game.
Notes and Musings:
Beau Mills, son of Boston bench coach Brad Mills, was selected by the Cleveland Indians 13th overall in the first round. Mills, a power hitting corner infielder, hit 38 HR’s this year for Lewis and Clark and was the NAIA player of the year. In 2004 the Red Sox drafted him in the 44th round.
The Red Sox snapped a season high 4 game losing streak, three of the four had been by one run. The Sox previous long streak this season was two and it’s been done twice. Both times Schilling, just as he dd today, ended the skid.
Coming into today’s game, the Red Sox had lost their last 7 games in Oakland and 8 of the last 9 overall since July 26, 2006.
Coming into today’s series finale, the Red Sox are 11 for 57 (.193 BA) in the last two games.
The Red Sox have not lost on a Thursday in 2007. They are now 8-0.
The Sox hit into 8 twin killings in the last two games, many of the 5-4-3 variety started by 6-time gold glove 3B Eric Chavez.
The series record since the Athletics moved to Oakland in 1968 belongs to Boston with a 251-203 record. The Sox are 108-119 overall in Oakland.
Dustin Pedroia got today off. He was the only regular not to start.
The loss snapped the A’s season high 5 game winning streak.
The A’s wer trying for only their second four game sweep against the Red Sox since they moved to Oakland in 1968. They had a four game sweep at Fenway Park in 1971.
September 1998 in Toronto was the last time the Sox were swept in a four game road series.
The A’s released pitcher Jay Witasick before today’s game. He was designated for assignment four days ago when Santiago Casilla was recalled from Sacramento.
