A Blazing Finish for Schilling This Time

Almost a week after a nightmarish ninth inning in New York, Curt Schilling had as dominant a finish as a pitcher can have.

Schilling pitched his fifth consecutive complete game Saturday night, capping an overpowering four-hit shutout by striking out the side in the ninth as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Colorado Rockies, 2-0, at Philadelphia.

Schilling, crushed by blowing a 4-0 lead in the ninth inning of a 5-4 loss to the New York Mets last Sunday, did more than simply avoid another collapse. He overwhelmed three of the best hitters in the National League with pitches traveling close to 100 mph.

Larry Walker, Dante Bichette and Vinny Castilla went down swinging as Schilling (8-2) finished the job in supreme fashion. He walked one in his first shutout and major league-leading sixth complete game, more than any team.

After striking out Walker on a 96-mph fastball, Schilling engaged Bichette in a classic duel. Bichette fouled off seven of Schilling’s 13 pitches and finally went down flailing at a 98-mph heater on a full count.

“The big man showed his true colors,” Phillie Manager Terry Francona said. “The Bichette at-bat is one of the best you’ll ever see.”

Schilling became only the third pitcher this decade to pitch five consecutive complete games. Toronto’s Pat Hentgen in 1996 and Philadelphia’s Tommy Greene in 1993 are the others. It was

Chicago 4, St. Louis 3--Glenallen Hill tied the score with a pinch-hit homer in the ninth and Mark Grace won it with an RBI double at Chicago.

The Cardinals--playing without Mark McGwire, who stayed at the team hotel to treat an infected corn on his right foot--led 3-2 going into the ninth.

But with one out, Hill hit his seventh career pinch-hit homer, this one against Ricky Bottalico (1-2).

Jose Hernandez then singled to left and raced around with the winning run when Grace drove a double into the right-field corner, sending a crowd of 40,478--the largest of the season at Wrigley Field--into delirium.

Arizona 8, New York 7--Byung-Hyun Kim, a 20-year-old South Korean making his major league debut, struck out Mike Piazza to end the game and earn the save at New York.

With Darren Holmes sidelined because of a bad back and closer Gregg Olson unavailable after throwing 28 pitches Friday night, Diamondback Manager Buck Showalter had few options. Kim responded by retiring all three batters he faced.

Jay Bell hit a three-run homer against Rigo Beltran (1-1) in the sixth inning to help the Diamondbacks win their fifth consecutive game. It was Bell’s 15th homer.

Cincinnati 8, Florida 1--Pokey Reese had a career-high four hits for the Reds at Miami.

Jason Bere and two relievers combined on a seven-hitter for Cincinnati.

Bere (3-0) pitched 5 1/3 shutout innings to win for the first time since April 29. He had a 7.84 earned-run average in his previous three starts and was on the verge of losing his spot in the rotation, although the Reds are unbeaten in his last six starts.

Scott Sullivan and Danny Graves preserved the victory.

San Diego 12, Milwaukee 3--Damian Jackson scored two runs and drove in two in the Padres’ eight-run third inning at Milwaukee, and Matt Clement won his first game.

The Padres have won two in a row on the road for the first time this season and handed the Brewers their fifth consecutive loss at County Stadium. Milwaukee is a major league-worst 5-16 at home.

Montreal 7, San Francisco 4--Mike Mordecai homered and Chris Widger drove in two runs at Montreal to help the Expos win their fourth consecutive game.

The streak is Montreal’s longest since winning four in a row last August.

Pittsburgh 5, Houston 1--Francisco Cordova pitched six strong innings for his first victory since last September, and Warren Morris drove in three runs at Pittsburgh.