Schilling Stops Braves, 6-0, for 100th Victory

Curt Schilling expected to be celebrating this moment about eight months ago.

The right-hander, his career back on track after shoulder surgery, scattered 11 hits for his 100th victory and the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Atlanta Braves, 6-0, at Atlanta, stopping the Braves’ home winning streak.

There was a giant bottle of champagne waiting for Schilling when he arrived at his locker. He couldn’t believe it took so long to reach the landmark.

“It’s about eight months late,” said Schilling, who won for the first time since Sept. 3. “I expected this a long time ago. I was sitting there at 15-6 last season and I was still 15-6 at Christmastime. But you have to take what you’re dealt.”

After starting the All-Star game last season, Schilling began to hurt. He managed only two victories after the break, skipped the final month to rest his shoulder and finally had surgery Dec. 13.

Schilling (1-1) sat out the first month of this season while on a rehab stint in the minors, finally making his first start April 30. He went six innings against the St. Louis Cardinals, giving up four runs and seven hits in a 4-3 loss.

Against the Braves, who had set a franchise record by winning 12 in a row at Turner Field, he looked like the Schilling of old.

“That’s what gets you through [an injury], believing it can be like this again,” he said.

The Braves loaded the bases in the ninth with three singles, but Schilling struck out pinch-hitter Andres Galarraga on three fastballs to end the game. The last pitch--Schilling’s 125th--was clocked at 96 mph.

“That was everything I had at the time,” he said.

St. Louis 3, Cincinnati 1--J.D. Drew hit a two-run homer in the seventh and Darryl Kile’s history of struggling at Cincinnati ended.

Drew’s homer against Rob Bell (2-2) was his fifth of the season and broke open a matchup of stingy starters. Kile (6-1) gave up five hits in 6 2/3 innings for his fourth consecutive victory but only the second of his career in six decisions at Cincinnati.

Mark McGwire, who hit the longest home run in Cinergy Field history Friday night, was allowed to miss the game to take care of a personal matter. He’s expected back for today’s game.

Montreal 3, Milwaukee 2--Chris Widger’s two-out double against reliever David Weathers in the eighth inning scored Terry Jones at Milwaukee.

Brewer starter Steve Woodard, 0-7 in 16 starts since beating the Kansas City Royals last July 19, left with a 2-1 lead after seven innings, but Weathers (1-1) gave up two runs in the eighth.

Woodard took a six-hit shutout into the seventh before Orlando Cabrera’s two-out homer into the left-field corner.

Pittsburgh 11, Chicago 9--Brian Giles had a two-run single, and Kevin Young, Wil Cordero, Pat Meares and Mike Benjamin all had RBIs in the ninth inning as the Pirates overcame a four-run deficit at Chicago.

It was the first game this season the Cubs had lost when leading in the ninth. It was the eighth come-from-behind victory for the Pirates.

San Francisco 6, Colorado 0--Shawn Estes scattered nine hits and Jeff Kent went three for three with a triple at San Francisco as the Giants shut out the Rockies for the second consecutive day.

The Giants have won six in a row and are 12-2 after a 4-11 start.

Colorado, which led the majors with a .300 batting average coming in, has been blanked in consecutive games for the first time since starting play in 1993. The Rockies had scored 72 runs in their previous six games before the series.

Arizona 10, San Diego 5--Erubiel Durazo extended his hitting streak to nine games with a home run and a double to lead the Diamondbacks at Phoenix.

Jay Bell had two hits, including a two-run single, as the Diamondbacks scored six runs against Rodrigo Lopez (0-1) in the second inning. Pinch-hitter Greg Colbrunn had a two-run double in the eighth.

Ed Sprague of the Padres went four for four, including two home runs.

Florida 9, New York 1--Alex Fernandez gave up one run and five hits in six innings and also hit a go-ahead, two-run double in a five-run fourth inning at Miami.

Former Met Preston Wilson added the second grand slam of his career in the eighth inning against Armando Benitez.

Fernandez (4-3) struck out four and walked three, giving up Derek Bell’s go-ahead homer in the fourth. Braden Looper, Dan Miceli and Antonio Alfonseca combined for three-hit relief.