Open and Shut(out) : Schilling on the Money in Phillies’ 3-0 Victory

The Dodgers say it’s much too long a season to get upset about one game, but Philadelphia Phillie pitcher Curt Schilling may want to offer them a cut of his next contract.

Certainly, the Dodgers validated Schilling’s claim that his arm is just fine, suffering their first opening-day shutout in 27 years--losing to the Phillies on Tuesday before a subdued sellout crowd of 53,079 at Dodger Stadium, 3-0.

“Well, I think we proved to everyone that Schilling is healthy,” Manager Bill Russell said. “I’m sure after that performance, they’ll be signing him tomorrow.”

Schilling, who’s trying to persuade the Phillies to sign him to a three-year, $15.95-million contract extension, let his arm do all of the talking in a performance that left the Dodgers numb. He pitched a two-hitter over eight innings, striking out 11, making it all look, oh, so easy.

It was such a remarkable display that the Dodgers managed to hit the ball out of the infield only once. They produced only two infield hits and three walks off Schilling in eight innings. He was so dominant that Phillie center fielder Wendell Magee Jr. and right fielder Danny Tartabull could have taken the day off on defense. There wasn’t a ball hit to them.

“It was kind of nice to stand around, look at all of the fans, and relax out there,” Tartabull said. “[Schilling] pitched so well he didn’t need any defense. I used to play behind Bret Saberhagen when he had games like that, and all you do is just take a good seat and watch.”

The Dodgers, shut out for the first time in an opener since Gary Nolan of the Cincinnati Reds blanked them in 1970, could have done the same.

Wilton Guerrero got his first major league hit when he beat out a ground ball to first base in the first inning. Brett Butler beat out a chopper toward the second-base bag in the third. And there were consecutive walks to Mike Piazza and Eric Karros in the seventh.

That was the Dodger offense, and very reminiscent of the last time they were held to two hits. That was Aug. 21 and the pitcher was, yep, Curt Schilling.

“He had as good stuff as I’ve ever seen him have,” Karros said. “Except for the other two-hit game he had against us.

“I don’t think anybody would have beaten him today. He just had a dominant game.

“I don’t know what more [the Phillies] need to see.”

Schilling, eligible for free agency after the season, has been negotiating an extension all winter. The Phillies agreed to the $15.95 million but have refused to guarantee more than $9.5 million because of shoulder and elbow operations that have prevented Schilling from pitching a full season since 1993.

He originally set a Monday deadline when he would stop all negotiations but extended it through tonight.

“I’d like to see him sign a 15-year contract after that,” said Terry Francona, the Phillies’ rookie manager.

“Schilling knows we want him here. Everybody wants him here. We would have wanted him here if he had given up 10 runs; we know what he’s all about.

“When you got a guy like that, he makes everybody look better.”

The Phillies, who were 67-95 last year and are predicted to finish about the same this season, wasted numerous opportunities to take advantage of Dodger starter Ramon Martinez’s wildness until the fifth inning. They had six baserunners in the first four innings, four in scoring position, until they finally broke through in the sixth.

Kevin Stocker hit a one-out double in the fifth, then Martinez loaded the bases when he walked Gregg Jefferies and Tartabull.

Rico Brogna hit a sacrifice fly to left for the first run, and rookie third baseman Scott Rolen followed with a run-scoring single to left for a 2-0 lead.

Martinez escaped further trouble but left the game after throwing 95 pitches in five innings, yielding five hits and five walks.

The Dodgers “rallied” in the seventh, on the one-out walks to Piazza and Karros, but Schilling got third baseman Todd Zeile to hit an inning-ending double-play grounder. The Dodgers didn’t reach base the rest of the game.

“I think the hardest thing I had to do all day was get my hands, put them under my rear end, and just sit there and keep out of the way,” Francona said.

Said catcher Mike Lieberthal, “[Schilling] had those guys frustrated all day. Butler, he was just missing right through pitches. [Todd] Hollandsworth, he was swinging at a lot of bad pitches and guessing.

“They weren’t saying much out there.”

The Dodgers had little to say afterward as well but left knowing it can’t get any worse.

“This is not the game I want to win,” said Fred Claire, executive vice president. “The game I want to win is the last game of the year in major league baseball.

“Now, that’s the one I want.”

* RANDY HARVEY: Brett Butler experiences the moment of a lifetime for a second time when Dodger crowd greets him with a standing ovation. C2

* BASEBALL / ROSS NEWHAN: Oft-injured Curt Schilling pitches like anything but damaged goods. C5

* SWING AND A MISS: Fox Sports West 2 promotion dealt a setback when start of Dodger telecast is blacked out on DirecTV. C5

* MORE COVERAGE: B1

* BOX SCORE: C5

* NOTES: C5