Thursday, August 22, 2002
Schilling strikes down Reds quickly
The Associated Press
PHOENIX — Curt Schilling throws strikes, especially on the first pitch, and the Reds love to swing. It was a combination that helped the Diamondbacks' right-hander make quick work of the Reds for his 21st victory Wednesday night.
Schilling (21-4) threw just 75 pitches - 58 for strikes - in seven innings. He began the game with 13 consecutive strikes and didn't throw a ball until the third inning.
"The outs they were making weren't necessarily all on strikes,” said Schilling, who had nine strikeouts. “They were just being very aggressive. The key in a situation like that is command, making sure that if they're going to swing, they get the pitch you want them to hit.”
“When he threw that first ball. I turned around to (bench coach) Bob Melvin and said, "Get somebody loose,' ” Arizona manager Bob Brenly said. “We had a little chuckle about it, but that's about as good as it gets out there tonight.”
He was perfect through four innings, with 23 strikes in 26 pitches.
“Those first three innings, it seemed like we were running on the field and turning around and running right back off,” Finley said, “without even hardly breaking a sweat.”
Schilling walked to lead off the Arizona fourth and scored from second on Spivey's double. When he returned to the mound to start the fifth with an 8-0 lead, he gave up a leadoff triple to Austin Kearns down the right-field line, then walked Sean Casey on four pitches.
It was just the 20th walk Schilling has allowed this season.
Steve Finley doubled, tripled and singled in his first three at-bats and drove in three runs. He had two chances to complete the cycle with a home run but struck out in the sixth and flied out to right in the eighth.
“We've been talking all year about trying to hit our stride,” Finley said. “We kind of hit our stride after the All-Star break, and we've kept it rolling for a while.”
Quinton McCracken was 3-for-5 with three RBIs, including a two-run homer, just his third home run of the season but second against the Reds in the past week. Junior Spivey doubled twice and drove in three runs.
Notes: Reds SS Barry Larkin left after two innings with tightness in his neck. ... Womack's first-inning single marked the seventh consecutive time he had reached base. He lined out his next at-bat, falling two short of the club record.
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Schilling strikes down Reds quickly 
