Pirates snakebit by Diamondbacks
PHOENIX (AP) – Even though he prefers the roof closed at Bank One Ballpark, Curt Schilling pitched sharply into the ninth inning under the stars to become baseball’s first seven-game winner as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat Pittsburgh 4-3 Wednesday night. Schilling surrendered a three-run homer to Craig Wilson in the first inning. The Pirates got little off him after that.
Schilling (7-1) struck out nine and allowed six hits. He left after issuing his only walk, to Armando Rios, leading off the ninth.
Over a week ago, Schilling asked that the retractable roof be closed when he pitches because he feels the ball carries farther when it is open. The Diamondbacks agreed, and said Arizona starting pitchers could decide whether to open the roof would be open.
The roof was closed in Schilling’s last start, even though it was 83 degrees outside.
But after the Diamondbacks were bombarded with e-mails and phone calls from angry fans who prefer the roof open, managing general partner Jerry Colangelo met with Schilling before Wednesday’s game, then announced that the new policy had been rescinded.
Byung-Hyun Kim relieved Schilling and got his 10th save.
After walking Wilson, Kim helped himself by starting a double play on Jason Kendall’s bunt. Kim struck out pinch-hitter Aramis Ramirez with runners on first and third to end it.
Schilling also drove in Arizona’s first run with a two-out single in the fourth.
Danny Bautista, 16-for-33 in the nine-game homestand, tripled and, for the second night in a row, singled in the go-ahead run as the Diamondbacks won for the fifth time in six games. Luis Gonzalez was 2-for-4 with an RBI double.
Kip Jarvis (4-2) gave up four runs on 10 hits in 5 1-3 innings in his first loss in five starts.
With the score at 3, Craig Counsell led off the seventh with a bloop single and advanced to second on Schilling’s sacrifice bunt. Tony Womack walked on four pitches – two each from Jarvis and reliever Joe Beimel.
Bautista singled off the third of four Pittsburgh pitchers in the inning, Mike Lincoln, to drive in Counsell and make it 4-3.
Schilling allowed singles to Abraham Nunez and Pokey Reese to start the game, but was one strike away from getting out of the inning when Wilson hit an 0-2 pitch into the left-field seats. It was Wilson’s first home run of the season.
The Diamondbacks made it 3-all in the fifth when Bautista tripled and scored on Gonzalez’s double. Two outs later, Grace doubled down the left-field line to drive home Gonzalez.
NOTES: Schilling had not allowed a first-inning run in his last 17 regular-season starts. He had not given up a first-inning homer in the regular season since May 11 of last year. … The Pirates finished their nine-game western swing 2-7.
, while the Diamondbacks were 6-3 in their home stand. … Seven of Wilson’s 13 homers last year were as a pinch-hitter, tying a major league record.