Curt Schilling turns in his third straight solid start, giving up only three hits over eight innings as the Sox halt a two-game skid.

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

BY CAROLYN THORNTON
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- When Curt Schilling emerged from spring training, he said he "felt good, healthy and strong."

With each of his three starts, the Red Sox pitcher is confirming both for himself and others that those positive feelings are going to translate into solid performances.

Looking more and more like the Curt Schilling of old, rather than last season's version, who was constantly hampered by a surgically repaired ankle, the veteran right-hander hurled Boston to a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners under a steady rainfall at Fenway Park last night.

Nearly duplicating the effort that earned him a 2-1 victory over Baltimore a week ago -- with the addition of one more inning -- Schilling gave up just three hits over eight innings in helping the Sox halt their two-game skid.

"I feel like I'm better than I've ever been from a performance standpoint," said Schilling, who threw 73 of his 104 pitches for strikes en route to fanning seven Mariners and walking no one in the series opener.

Schilling, who has now allowed just 11 hits in 22 innings, was clearly in control on the mound, even bare-handing a fourth-inning grounder back up the middle by Ichiro Suzuki. The Mariners' incomparable leadoff hitter had no luck against Schilling last night, popping out in foul territory and striking out swinging in his other plate appearances against the Boston right-hander.

"He was pretty good under some tough conditions," said Terry Francona, who notched his 200th win as a Red Sox manager. "He was great. He had to be. There wasn't a whole lot of margin for error."

Boston's rising-star reliever Jonathan Papelbon was solid once again himself, tossing a scoreless ninth for his fifth straight save.

While the bats of Boston's heavy hitters remained mostly silent with David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Jason Varitek going a combined 1-for-11, the bottom of the order came through in some key situations.

Most impressively, Alex Gonzalez boosted his batting average from .167 to .242 with a 3-for-4 night in the ninth slot that included two doubles and his first two RBI of the season.

Center fielder Dustan Mohr and third baseman Mike Lowell, meanwhile, each contributed a single and a double.

"For us to be 7-3 after 10 games when our offense isn't even close to hitting its stride, it's a very positive thing," said Schilling, commending what he called a "tremendous defensive ballclub" behind him.

Boston failed to capitalize on some prime opportunities early, stranding runners in scoring position in each of the first two innings.

But the Sox finally pushed a couple of runs across in the fourth when Gonzalez smacked a double off the left-field wall to drive in Lowell and Mohr.

Seattle got one run back in the fifth, as ex-Red Sox Carl Everett's grounder to third brought home Richie Sexson, who had led off the inning with a double to left.

Schilling spoiled a perfect opportunity for the Mariners to tie the game an inning later. After giving up a double over the first-base bag to Jeremy Reed, who advanced to third on Yuniesky Betancourt's groundout to short, Schilling struck out the next two batters swinging -- Suzuki with an 85 mph splitter and Jose Lopez with a fastball up and away.

After Schilling retired the side in the seventh and eighth, Papelbon swept up in the ninth, first getting Betancourt to fly out to shallow left, then handing Suzuki his second strikeout. After giving up a single to Lopez -- which is only the second hit Papelbon has allowed in his six outings -- he forced Raul Ibanez to ground out to second.

"It's nice to give him the ball," Francona said of Papelbon. "I have a lot of confidence in that young man."

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