Red Sox 3, Pirates 2

FORT MYERS, Fla. --Oliver Perez and Curt Schilling are coming back from disappointing years after excellent 2004 seasons. On Wednesday, Perez did better even though his team lost.

With both pitchers tuning up for opening day starts, Perez allowed one run in 5 2-3 innings, Schilling gave up two runs in four innings but the Boston Red Sox beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 on Trot Nixon's two-run single in the seventh.

Perez was 7-5 with a 5.85 ERA in 20 starts last season when he had shoulder and toe injuries. He was 12-10 with a 2.98 ERA and 239 strikeouts in 196 innings over 30 starts in 2004.

"He pitched like an ace today -- and he had the demeanor of one," Pirates manager Jim Tracy said. "I saw a guy who was extremely interested in wanting to be the ace of the staff."

Perez gave up an RBI double to Wily Mo Pena with no outs in the second, then retired the remaining 14 batters he faced, six on strikeouts. He finished with seven strikeouts and one walk.

"The fastball is coming, but I'm not thinking about the fastball right now," said Perez, who pitches at Milwaukee next Monday. "I'm thinking about the game, and the fastball is going to come."

Schilling is slated to face Texas on Monday after his last exhibition outing in which he allowed runners in each of the first three innings. He didn't give up any runs until the fourth when the Pirates took a 2-1 lead. Consecutive singles with no outs by Joe Randa, Jody Gerut and Jose Castillo tied the game, and Chris Duffy's groundout to first base sent Gerut home for a 2-1 lead.

"Today was probably as bad a fastball physically as I've felt like I've had all spring," Schilling said. "But I say it every spring. None of it matters now. All this stuff is over. I'm healthy and I'm going to get the ball on Monday for real."

Schilling struggled last season with an ankle injury and finished at 8-8 with a 5.69 ERA. In 2004 he was 21-6 with a 3.26 ERA despite having that injured right ankle most of the season. He ended with a strong outing in Game 2 of the World Series, which Boston swept over St. Louis, after surgery sutured a loose tendon to his skin.

"I'm healthy," he said Wednesday. "That feels good."

Boston took a 3-2 lead in the seventh against Giovanni Carrara, who started the inning by striking out Jason Varitek. Then the Red Sox loaded the bases on a walk to Mike Lowell, a single by Wily Mo Pena and a walk to J.T. Snow after pinch runners Adam Stern and Willie Harris executed a double steal. Nixon then singled in two runners.

Boston left fielder Manny Ramirez probably saved a run in the fifth when he crashed into the wall -- smacking against the second "U" in the "Dunkin' Donuts" sign for the final out after Jeromy Burnitz reached on a two-out single.

"He spent a lot of time working in the outfield," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "I think that's probably overlooked."