01:00 AM EDT on Saturday, April 15, 2006

BOSTON -- The play isn't one that the Red Sox coaches teach during pitchers fielding drills in the spring. In fact, it's downright dangerous.

But Curt Schilling's instincts just took over when Ichiro Suzuki smacked a bouncer to his right in the fourth, a ball that may either have found its way through the middle or turned into an infield single for the speedy Seattle right fielder.

Schilling reached out his bare hand and the ball stuck in his palm. Schilling then wheeled and threw out Ichiro at first.

Fortunately, while it appeared as if the play caused Schilling to lose a little feeling in his hand briefly, Schilling was not hurt.

"It was an instinct play," said manger Terry Francona. "If somebody breaks a finger, I'd be upset."

Schilling made another outstanding defensive play in the inning - just by doing what he was supposed to do. Raul Ibanez hit a smash down the first-base line. Youkilis made a diving stab at the ball, which hit his glove and rolled into foul territory.

At the crack of the bat, Schilling raced off the mound to cover first in the event Youkilis was able to grab the ball. Because he got a good start off the mound, Schilling was able to beat a sliding Ibanez to the bag, in position to take the throw from a sprawled Youkilis for the out.

Off-speed doldrums

The Sox are having diffculty hitting left-handers who feature off-speed breaking balls and nicely spotted fastballs. On Thursday night, Ted Lilly fanned 10 in seven innings. Last night ageless Jamie Moyer struck out eight in six innings.

Wily Mo Pena seems especially susceptible to the slow breaking balls, getting punched out three times on such pitches, twice last night.

Hung out to dry

Mark Loretta must have been counting on the element of surprise.

The problem was, he surprised teammate Alex Gonzalez at third base when he tried to bunt for a hit in the fourth.

And Loretta's timing for the surprise bunt may not have been the best choice, either.

When Loretta stepped to the plate, the Red Sox had runners at first and third with one out. They were leading, 2-0, and, threatening for at least one more run.

Loretta noticed that Seattle third baseman Adrian Beltre was playing back, hoping for a ground ball he could turn into an inning-ending double play.

So Loretta dropped down the bunt. The play froze Gonzalez briefly. The ball was bunted too hard, and Beltre reacted well, putting a good charge on the ball as Gonzalez broke for the plate.

Beltre fielded the ball and would have had Gonzalez dead at home. Gonzalez, realizing that, stopped, reversed his field and tried to get back to third. Beltre slipped, but was able to make a throw to hustling shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt at third.

Betancourt tagged out Gonzalez, and the Sox ultimately were unable to add a pad run.

"The bunt was good. We just have to communicate better with [third base coach] DeMarlo [Hale], Loretta, and the runner at third. We're learning on the job," Francona said.

Learning on the fly

In the first inning Ichiro lofted a high foul popup between home and first.

Catcher Jason Varitek chased it down and was ready to attempt the catch when Youkilis, rushing in from his first-base position, called off Varitek as a first baseman should and made the catch. Clearly, Youkilis, in his first year as a starting first baseman, is learning the position.

This is one lesson Youkilis apparently has learned. On the season-opening road trip, on a similar play, Youkilis stood by as catcher Josh Bard tried, without success, to corral a foul popup.

All about location

It's not always how hard you throw that matters. Location can be just as important.

Moyer's fastball topped out at 82 miles an hour in the first inning.

But with runners at first and second with none out, he whiffed the dangerous David Ortiz, a career .387 hitter with 11 of his 12 hits for extra bases against Moyer, on a 71-mph curveball that the Sox' designated hitter feebly waved at. Then he retired Manny Ramirez on a fly ball to right on an 81-mph fastball.

And he escaped the threat by jamming Varitek with an 82-mph fastball that Varitek popped up to shallow right.

Adjusting at the plate

Varitek was fooled by pitches all night, hitting off his front foot in each of his four at-bats. The first three times up produced weak fly balls, one to each field. He also was out in front of a pitch in the seventh, but he kept his hands back long enough and pulled a ground single through the shortstop hole.

skrasner@projo.com / (401) 277-7340