01:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, August 31, 2005

BOSTON -- About a week ago, a member of the Red Sox' organization approached a reporter and posed a question.

"Has a team ever won a pennant while finishing last in the league in pitching?" he wondered.

Actually, the Red Sox aren't last in the American League in pitching. It just seems that way. Their 4.87 collective E.R.A. is 11th among the 14 teams -- better than Texas, Tampa Bay and Kansas City. But you get the point.

Somehow, despite allowing almost five earned runs per game and without much in the way of contributions from Curt Schilling and Keith Foulke, the Red Sox have the second-best record in the league and the third-best mark in all of baseball.

They've been in first place in the American League East for 43 straight days and 67 of their last 68.

How is that possible?

Runs, and plenty of them, particularly at home. In the last 17 home games, the Sox have scored eight runs in 12 of them. Their lowest output was four, done once.

"It just goes to show how we like to pick each other up," said Johnny Damon after the Red Sox had overcome a 5-0 deficit to edge the Devil Rays, 7-6, last night. "When the pitching struggles, we know as hitters that we have to pick them up."

Evidently, the offense has known that since April, because other than a few brief stretches, the Red Sox have won by outscoring the opposition. You name the category, and the Red Sox are first in the A.L.: batting average, hits, doubles, RBI, runs, walks and on-base percentage. They're second in total bases and slugging percentage.

Good thing, because they haven't been able to depend on the pitchers.

Curt Schilling, lit up for two innings before making some adjustments to add four scoreless innings thereafter, has given them exactly one win as a starter. Foulke has more than half as many homers allowed (eight) as he does saves recorded (15). He hasn't pitched since the first week of July.

Together, Schilling and Foulke were counted on to deliver 300 quality innings. Due to injuries and ineffectiveness, they haven't come close to hitting that number.

There are no guarantees that either will regain his form in the next four weeks. Certainly, Schilling made some strides after the second inning and finished strong, but he's given up 18 hits in 11 innings in his only two starts since April.

"We didn't win this game because of me," said Schilling. "We won this game because we scored seven runs, because our offense did a fantastic job."

So it's been, seemingly, all season.

"Right now," acknowledged Terry Francona, "we need to score. So that's what we do."

Better than anyone, it should be pointed out. Against good teams and bad, the Red Sox mash, with the batting order regularly succeeding in "keeping the line going," as Francona likes to say.

It might not be wise to expect much from Foulke, either. In three outings in the rookie New York-Penn League, he's yet to have anything close to a clean inning. His velocity is still off. His command is still spotty.

To expect that he suddenly and miraculously will be the same Keith Foulke the Red Sox rode to victory last October is beyond naive.

Their best bet, it would appear, is to keep doing what they've been doing: scoring runs in bunches and hold on for dear life in September.

"When you look at this ballclub," said Schilling, "the offense is so good. We haven't had pitching-wise what we've wanted for five months and we've managed to win a lot more than we've lost."

Can they do it for another month? Even last night's starter is skeptical.

"Not if we continue to pitch this way," said Schilling. "We have to get better as a staff. You win in September and October with pitching."

Maybe so. But for April, May, June, July and now August, the Red Sox have won almost more than anyone else with little help from their pitchers. They might not want to push their luck next month and beyond.

Then again, if Schilling and Foulke don't come around as hoped, they might not have any other choice.