Curt Schilling pitched the Boston Red Sox to a 2-1 victory on Thursday night and a 2-0 lead in the World Series over the suddenly stagnant Colorado Rockies.
Mike Lowell hit a tiebreaking double in the fifth and the Red Sox got three-and-two-thirds innings of shutout relief from Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon to win their sixth straight Series game, including a sweep of St Louis in 2004.
The Series shifts to spacious Coors Field for the third game tomorrow morning, when US$103 million rookie Daisuke Matsuzaka pitches for Boston against Josh Fogg.
PHOTO: EPA
His fastball hovering around 140kph, Schilling held punchless Colorado in check for five-and-a third innings and became the second 40-year-old starter to win a World Series game. Detroit's Kenny Rogers did it last year against the Cardinals.
Okajima entered with two on in the sixth and Boston leading 2-1. He retired Garrett Atkins on a grounder and struck out Brad Hawpe to squash the threat.
There was more to come. The rookie left-hander from Japan fanned three straight before he was pulled for Papelbon with two outs in the eighth.
Papelbon finished up in the ninth, securing Schilling's third win in four starts this postseason and his second save. He and Okajima have combined for 17-and-a third scoreless innings this month.
With two outs in the fifth, Ortiz walked and Manny Ramirez singled before Lowell pulled a 2-1 pitch from Ubaldo Jimenez down the left-field line for a 2-1 Red Sox lead.
Jimenez seemed to have the Red Sox spooked early on. The 23-year-old rookie held Boston hitless for three innings with an array of 154kph fastballs and sharp sliders. He stayed poised, too, calmly taking time to gather himself behind the mound.
But the patient Red Sox started to wear down Jimenez, laying off balls and driving his pitch count up. Soon, they broke through.
Lowell walked with one out in the fourth and J.D. Drew singled to right for Boston's first hit. Lowell aggressively turned for third and, with a headfirst slide, beat a long throw from strong-armed Hawpe.
Varitek's sacrifice fly tied it at 1. Jacoby Ellsbury drew a walk and stole second, but Jimenez retired Julio Lugo with runners at second and third to end the inning.
Schilling settled in after allowing a run in the first. He got an inning-ending double play in the second and struck out two in the third. He put the leadoff batter on in the next two innings, but pitched out of trouble.
Schilling hit Willy Taveras on the left hand with a 1-2 pitch and he raced to third when Holliday's single deflected off the glove of a diving Lowell at third.
Helton's RBI groundout put Colorado ahead.
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