Red Sox ace still has some tricks up his sleeve

NEW YORK -- His arm speed isn't as blistering as it once was. His presence isn't as daunting as it once was. And his line scores aren't as audacious as they once were. Curt Schilling began this season with 35 10-strikeouts games, and he might, at this rate, call it a career at the end of 2007 with 35 10-K games.

But he does know how to adapt and how to get people out. Case in point: A fly-ball pitcher, Schilling made a point of throwing several sinkers last night and kept the ball, and his pitch count, down. Choosing to be economical, he got 13 of his 24 outs on ground outs and threw a season-low 96 pitches in working eight innings of the Sox' 9-3 win.

Sure, he gave up three more bombs -- increasing his season total to 13 -- but none of those could have traveled in the HOV lane. They were all solo shots, accounting for three of the four hits he gave up and all of the runs. And, of course, he walked no one, which shouldn't be a surprise, given that he has no walks in his last five starts covering 34 2/3 innings.

``He wasn't trying to strike guys out tonight," said Johnny Damon, who homered leading off the Yankees' half of the first. ``He didn't have that overpowering stuff, that nasty splitter, that great fastball. He knew he had to use his defense. He hit his spots, got some weak ground balls, was able to go from there."

At $13 million, that might not be glamorous, but it is enough. Schilling improved to 9-2 with a 3.81 ERA. More important, the Sox improved to 11-2 when he pitches. They are just 23-21 when anyone else takes the ball. That includes 7-5 when Josh Beckett pitches, 6-5 when Matt Clement pitches, and 4-7 when Tim Wakefield pitches.

``Part of that," Schilling said of the high ground-ball total, ``is working down in the zone a lot more, which I haven't been doing consistently well. Still searching, still looking for it. I've made 13 starts, we've won 11 times, and I'll take that, based on how I feel, not being able to consistently put it together."

His record, he said, is ``more a testament to the offense on this team and the defense. Defensively, this is the best team I've ever played with or seen."

The lack of consistency Schilling talked about showed up in the first, second, and fifth innings. He threw a 2-and-2 splitter to Damon that crashed off the upper reaches of the foul pole. He threw a 2-and-0 slider to Bernie Williams that sailed out to right-center. And he threw a 1-and-2 splitter to Robinson Cano that split nothing except the bleacher and grandstand seating.

``I made four mistakes tonight, and they were three homers and a double," Schilling said. ``I feel like I can't make a mistake."

His point: When he leaves a ball up, it's not getting blooped to center. He's now given up three homers in a game three times this season, twice against the Yankees. Six different Yankees have taken him out of the yard this year. But, if you think they're catching on to him, he differs.

``This was the third time I've seen these guys," said Schilling, who is 2-1 with a 4.29 ERA vs. the Yankees this season. ``I have patterns and they have patterns. And I have always felt that's an advantage for me because the patterns that work I use and the patterns that don't I adjust on."

Schilling's season has taken to a bit of a pattern. That is, great, bad, great. Consider his results:

April 3 to April 19: 4 GS, 4-0, 1.61 ERA, 23 K's, 4 BBs, 2 HRs, WHIP: 0.75.

April 25 to May 16: 5 GS, 2-2, 6.53 ERA, 29 K's, 5 BBs, 8 HRs, WHIP: 1.48

May 22 to June 8: 4 GS, 3-0, 3.10 ERA, 25 K's, 0 BBs, 3 HRs, WHIP: 0.83.

He doesn't have a great explanation, except, perhaps, mental inconsistency.

``I think the ironic thing is in 2005 I struggled as much as you can struggle physically to get on the mound," he said. ``Mentally, before that year, I felt I was always as good as anybody out there. I assumed this year being healthy that would kick right in.

``The amazing thing is mentally I don't feel like I've gotten anywhere near where I need to be. It's confusing to me. That's why I don't feel like I've put it together physically and mentally any one game. But I've made 13 starts, and we've won 11 times.

``It is what it is."

It's enough.

THE SOX I KNOW. Bob Ryan profiles Curt Schilling at www.boston.com/redsox/ryan