Back on track

The Red Sox needed to get their act together after three straight losses, and they had the right guy on the mound last night to stem the bleeding. Curt Schilling turned in a stellar performance in a close pitching duel with Baltimore's Rodrigo Lopez to help the Red Sox to a 3-2 victory. If you still don't believe that Schilling is getting better as the season goes on, check out his pitching line:

IP 8, H 3, ER 0, BB 1, SO 14, PC-ST 114-90

90 strikes and 24 balls? As Bob Ryan says in today's Boston Globe, the 'W' is for 'Wow'. It might not have been the Yankees that Schilling put away, but the Orioles have hurt the Red Sox all season and this was a much-needed win. It didn't help Boston gain any ground in the division, because the Yankees beat the Blue Jays (thanks in part to Jason Giambi's first home run since June), but it did increase their Wild Card lead over Anaheim, who were on the short end of Ichiro's 5-for-5 night, and I'm sure it did wonders for the team's self-confidence. It was a timely reminder of what they can do on the field, even when they have their backs to the wall.