Thursday, May 09, 2002
Diamondbacks 4, Pirates 3
The Associated Press
PHOENIX — Ticked off before the game began and nicked for a home run in the first inning, Curt Schilling settled down and became the season's first seven-game winner.
He wanted the roof closed at Bank One Ballpark, no matter how nice the night was, but pitched sharply into the ninth inning under the stars as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 Wednesday night.
Schilling surrendered a three-run homer to Craig Wilson in the first inning, then blanked the Pirates after that.
“After the first inning, it was typical Schil,” Arizona manager Bob Brenly said. “He found his rhythm out there and just hammered away at them.”
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, especially in left field where he often lures players to hit the ball in the air.
The Diamondbacks agreed to Schilling's request, and said Arizona starting pitchers could decide whether to open the roof.
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general partner Jerry Colangelo met with Schilling before Wednesday's game, then announced that the new policy had been rescinded.
“You guys have made that into a Watergate scandal,” Schilling said, “and it really should never have been. He's the owner of the team. The roof is where he wants it to be.”
Schilling felt he had been portrayed unfairly as a spoiled athlete making demands on the franchise.
“It's filled reams of paper and the airwaves making me out to be something I'm not,” Schilling said. “I've never been spoiled. I don't make demands. I never have. Anybody here that knows me knows that. I prepare to pitch to win. They pay me to win, and I try to give myself the best possible chance. I just thought that that would give me an advantage.
“It should never have gotten out. Had it not gotten out, no one would know. No one would have said anything.”
The crowd cheered as the roof was opened before the game, with the temperature a comfortable 79 degrees.
“The bottom line is the best thing that could have possibly happened tonight,” said Mark Grace, who tied it with an RBI double in the fifth inning. “Curt pitched with the roof open. He won the game, pitched well, just like he does with the roof closed or open. ... I'm glad that it was open tonight. I think Jerry made the right decision, and hopefully we can go on the road and put this to bed for a while.”
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.
“We were right where we wanted to be with a chance to win in the ninth inning,” Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon said. “When you're on the road, I guess that's all you can ask for. Certain things didn't go our way, and I guess that's the way it goes.”
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 Wells (4-2) gave up four runs on 10 hits in 5 1-3 innings, his first loss in five starts.
With the score tied 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 Wells 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 in 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 on their homestand. ... Seven of Wilson's 13 homers last year were as a pinch-hitter, tying a major league record.
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Diamondbacks 4, Pirates 3 
