Trot Nixon throws out a runner in the top of the eighth inning, then comes through with clutch hits in the bottom of that inning and the ninth to spark Boston to victory.

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

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- Is it possible to give one player a save and a win in the same game?

It should be. That's what right fielder Trot Nixon deserved after sparking the Boston Red Sox to a come-from-behind, 7-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays last night at Fenway Park.

Nixon saved the Sox an important run by gunning down Toby Hall, the Rays' slow-footed catcher, trying to score from second on Carl Crawford's two-out single in the eighth with Tampa Bay ahead, 6-4.

In the bottom of the eighth, Nixon rifled a double to left that figured prominently in Boston's game-tying two-run rally off Joe Borowski, who had not allowed a run in his first 20 appearances for the Rays, totaling 21 innings.

And then, for good measure, Nixon snapped the tie with a two-out bases-loaded single to right off ace closer Danys Baez in the bottom of the ninth.

The win, which brought the jubilant Red Sox out of the dugout en masse to celebrate with Nixon, overshadowed an uneven performance by Curt Schilling, who surrendered five runs over the first two

innings, plunging Boston into a 5-0 hole, and then threw up four zeroes in his second start since leaving the bullpen.

"Those are not easy games to win when you give them five early," said Boston manager Terry Francona. "But we kept going. We put pressure on them."

While some pressure was applied in two-run outbursts against Tampa Bay starter Scott Kazmir in the third and fourth innings, Boston began taking over the game in the eighth. Enter Nixon, who stopped any bleeding by throwing out Hall, with catcher Jason Varitek tagging out the sliding runner, if you believe plate umpire Ed Montague. The Rays didn't believe him, but it didn't matter.

"I knew he'd be off with the crack of the bat. The outfield grass was wet and the grass is tall, so I knew the ball would slow down. I just wanted to make sure I came up with the ball cleanly," said Nixon of his charge to the ball.

"Then I wanted to get a good grip because I thought the ball might be a little slick," added Nixon. "Fortunately I got it cleanly out of my glove. I think the wet grass helped on the throw, helped it skip to Varitek. It didn't short-hop him."

The Sox still trailed, 6-4, but a leadoff walk to pinch hitter Johnny Damon (at least, if you believe Montague on the 3-and-2 pitch; the Rays didn't) and Nixon's double set the stage for Bill Mueller's RBI grounder and pinch hitter John Olerud's single to right that tied the score at 6-6.

A walk to David Ortiz, a single by Manny Ramirez and a walk to Varitek filled the bases. Damon lined hard to right, bringing up Nixon. He swung at the first pitch he saw for his game-winning hit.

"I wanted to be aggressive early in the count," said Nixon. "That's the kind of opportunity you look for being a ballplayer, but you have to calm your nerves in those situations, not get too excited. He elevated a pitch a little and I was able to get on top of it. I hit it off the end of the bat a little, but it fell in."

Schilling's confidence, meanwhile, fell quite a bit after he was tagged for five runs on seven hits over the first two innings.

"I centered so many balls over the middle of the plate the first two innings it was ridiculous," sighed Schilling. "There's no excuse for that. I hung four splits over the first two innings and they all ended up with green paint (from the Green Monster) over them at some point."

The right-hander's velocity over that stretch reached 93 miles an hour five times, including a pair of high fastballs on back-to-back strikeouts of Aubrey Huff and Jonny Gomes, ending the first inning.

Overall, Schilling's heater topped out at 94. He hit that number on the ballpark radar gun reading twice -- to Jorge Cantu in third (foul ball) and to Julio Lugo (flyout) on his 97th and final pitch of the night.

There were encouraging moments, none the least of which was the fact Schilling was able to make it through six innings and 97 pitches without collapsing in only his second start since April 23.

"(After the first two innings) he looked more confident. His velocity was fine and he began executing and locating his pitches," said Francona. "From where we sit, he got a lot better."

Schilling said he made somne adjustments. But there was a low point, as well. It came during the second inning, when some members of the sellout crowd of 35,101 booed Schilling, their beloved hero only 10 months earlier.

The boos, which were a bit muted, descended on Schilling as he was struggling through the Devil Rays' four-run second-inning uprising. Alex Gonzalez (double) and Toby Hall (RBI single) produced a run with one out, and then, after a fielder's choice grounder, Julio Lugo tripled and Carl Crawford doubled. That brought out pitching coach Dave Wallace from the dugout and the boos from the crowd.

Schilling eventually got out of the inning.

"That was as down as I've been in a long, long time," said Schilling, who is 0-1 with a 9.00 earned-run average in his last two starts. "Emotionally, I was frustrated."

The bottom line, though, counted the most, he said.

"We won the game," said Schilling. "We didn't win because of me, we won because of our offense and the bullpen. But we won."