Close finish is no surprise to Schilling

In the chatter around the Red Sox clubhouse concerning the inevitability of a Boston/New York finale for the American League East title, higher powers are often invoked.

To Johnny Damon ,it was ''God's plan" that the two meet to decide the East, a notion with which several other players heartily agree.

But to Curt Schilling, who will pitch the final game of the regular season Sunday against the Yankees, the only higher power responsible for one of the best rivalries in sports is money.

''The sun comes up, the sun goes down," Schilling said before last night's game against the Blue Jays. ''And the Yankees and Red Sox are playing meaningful games late in the year. It always happens that way. It's as much a byproduct of payroll as anything. We're the only two teams -- in this division, anyway -- who could afford to do what we can do. We can afford to go out and sign people to fill holes. I'm not slamming anybody, but that's just the way the economics of the game work."

Schilling, who couldn't hold a 3-0 lead Tuesday against the Blue Jays, is in line to face Mike Mussina if the series comes down to a deciding game Sunday. If the division has been clinched before Sunday, the winner would probably save a prime starter for the playoffs.

Schilling had nothing but praise for the Yankees, who came back from a 5 1/2-game deficit Aug. 11 to overtake the Sox in the final week of the season.

With the August lead, Schilling said the race was the Sox' to lose.

''We did not play well and the Yankees played much better," Schilling said. ''They also played through as much or more adversity than we have, and they've come back from 5 1/2. It's not all us. We're playing like crap, but you've got to give them credit for playing their butts off. They've played some beautiful games late in the year. It always happens that way.

''And every time you look over to that dugout, Joe [Torre] is always the constant over there."

The fact the Sox ran into a Toronto wall before the showdown with the Yankees comes as no surprise to Schilling, who praised the Blue Jays for playing hard, even though they have been eliminated from postseason contention. Schilling said had their ace, Roy Halladay, not fractured his left tibia July 9, the Blue Jays might well have been in the playoff hunt.

''Hey, they're a real good team," he said. ''They lost their Randy Johnson. But they had some good arms in the bullpen and offensively they're all right. And in this ballpark -- I've been on the other side of the fence -- it does give you a little extra pump. There's a lot more energy here. Just think of Tampa Bay this time of year with 12,000 fans in the stands. I mean, we certainly didn't expect them to come in here and lay down for us."

Asked about his dismal outing Tuesday (10 hits, 5 runs in 6 1/3 innings), Schilling smiled. ''I'm already over it. You guys need to be . . . We just have one game we're focused on -- tonight."