Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling follows through against the Indians in the first inning of Game Two, at Fenway Park.

The Providence Journal / Bob Breidenbach

BOSTON — Curt Schilling’s history offers a strong statement that the man is a clutch pitcher when the stakes are the highest, in the postseason.

But Schilling’s stuff at this stage of the 40-year-old’s career suggests that he’s not the postseason stud he used to be, such as in 2004, when, pitching on one ankle, he practically willed himself to a key Game Six victory over the New York Yankees in the ALCS, helping propel Boston to its World Series-drought-snapping triumph.

Tonight, Schilling will find himself on the mound once again in a Game Six of the ALCS, again with the Red Sox knowing a loss eliminates them from the playoffs. Schilling will start tonight against the Indians’ Fausto Carmona at Fenway Park.

He is not the same pitcher. Even the right-hander acknowledges that, having come to grips with the fact that he no longer can blow people away with 97-mph fastballs and has to be precise with the location of his now-88-mph fastball and his other pitches.

Schilling will be trying to reverse his fortunes of Game Two in this series, when he was torched for five earned runs on nine hits, including a pair of homers, in lasting only 4 2/3 innings of an eventual 13-6, 11-inning setback.

He will be feeling a bit of trepidation as he takes the mound, but the reinvented pitcher says he still will be feeling confident, partially because of his Game Six experience in 2004.

“One of the things I was thinking about this morning was that a lot of people were going to try to draw parallels to the things that happened in 2004, and to some degree maybe you can,” said Schilling, who spoke via a conference call, skipping the optional workout at rainy Fenway yesterday.

“What (the Game Six experience) does for me . . . I thought, listen, I went out against a Yankees lineup in ’04 that was as good an offense as I’ve ever faced, and I was basically pitching on a broken foot with a lot less stuff than I have now and I gave up one run over seven innings,” he said.

“There’s no excuse for me not to be able to go out tonight with what I have now (for stuff) and, if I can execute perfectly, I can pitch as good, if not better. I’ve done a lot better in a lot worse circumstances with a lot worse stuff (in 2004). So tonight is going to be all about execution,” said Schilling.

While Schilling has authored 216 regular-season big-league wins, and nine more in the postseason, including the clincher in this year’s ALDS against the Angels, he admits that there is a speck of self-doubt in the back of his mind, though it’s more motivational than paralyzing.

“There’s always fear,” admitted Schilling. “I mean, I’m scared to death to go out and fail tonight. I’m terrified of letting my teammates down and the fan base down and this organization down because they’re counting on me to survive. I’m scared to death to not do well tonight, but I’m also very cognizant of the fact that that fear is something that has always driven me and always pushed me.”

Also in the back of his mind, Schilling said, is that tonight’s start could be his last one in a Red Sox uniform. Boston elected not to offer him an extension this spring, and he likely will be allowed to leave via free agency after the season is over. He thought about that as he was flying home from Cleveland ahead of his teammates to get some extra rest just in case the Red Sox were able to win Thursday night and stave off elimination.

“Last night it did dawn on me . . . that I might have made my last start as a Boston Red Sox. I don’t dwell on it. I have so much going on mentally right now to get ready for [tonight]. It’s not something that worries me . . . beyond just the initial thought it could be all over for me (in Boston),” said Schilling.

“No matter how badly I want to come back here and how badly I want to be part of this, it takes two to tango, and if it’s not in the cards on their end, then it’s not going to happen. I want to be here. I hope they want me here,” he said.

Certainly, if he is leaving, Schilling would like to leave on a positive note. And he knows it’s going to take a superb effort, especially given the fact he no longer possesses overpowering stuff, to keep the Sox’ season alive.

“Some people think I get overburdened with the expectation of perfection, and I don’t,” said Schilling. “I’m going to go out [tonight]. I’m going to try and execute 110 to 115 pitches perfectly, and if I miss with two or three, okay. If I can’t execute to that degree, I’m going to have trouble winning the game.

“It’s very simple now,” he said. “I go out and do my job [tonight] and we win, or I don’t and we lose. I don’t think there’s too much pressure or too little. It’s just reality. We put ourselves in this position, and I helped put us in this position. I’ve got the ball tomorrow. If I can do what I know I’m capable of doing and I can execute, we can win. And if I don’t, then it’s going to be very, very tough.”

skrasner@projo.com