Schilling’s Return Doesn’t Go Well

There was no blood on Curt Schilling’s sock when he faced the New York Yankees this time.

No bite on his splitter, either.

With the star of Boston’s 2004 World Series run debuting in his new job as a reliever, Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run homer to break a ninth-inning tie and New York beat the Red Sox, 8-6, Thursday night at Boston.

The Yankees won for the eighth time in nine tries to pull within 1 1/2 games of first place in the American League East, the closest they’ve been to the division lead since winning at Fenway Park on April 13.

“I believe this game, we don’t win it the first two or three months of the year,” Rodriguez said. “It shows you how far we’ve come.”

Cameras flashed and the sold-out crowd stood to cheer for Schilling in the sixth when he went out to the bullpen, where he has been shifted to fill a need while closer Keith Foulke recovers from knee surgery. The fans gave him another standing ovation when he entered to pitch the ninth.

But Schilling (1-3) gave up a double to Gary Sheffield to start the inning -- his third extra-base hit of the game -- then Rodriguez homered over the bleachers in left-center on the first pitch.

Schilling, who had been on the disabled list since April 23 because of surgery for the ankle injury that caused him to bleed through his sock in the World Series, retired the next three batters to complete his first relief appearance since a late-season tuneup in 2002.

“It was set up to be a situation that was great, if I did what I was supposed to do,” Schilling said. “I made two big mistakes back-to-back.... It’s frustrating, disappointing.”

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Baltimore 5, Seattle 3 -- Rafael Palmeiro moved within one hit of 3,000 and Daniel Cabrera pitched a two-hitter through eight innings at Seattle. Palmeiro recorded hit No. 2,999 with a one-out single to right in the fourth.

Chicago 1, Cleveland 0 -- Jose Contreras (5-5) pitched three-hit ball for seven innings to lead the White Sox at Cleveland. The White Sox stopped a season-high three-game losing streak. Cleveland lost for the sixth time in seven games.

Tampa Bay 3, Toronto 0 -- Casey Fossum and Danys Baez combined on a six-hitter at Toronto.

Before the game, Devil Ray Manager Lou Piniella urged his players to have some pride after they went a major league worst 28-61 in the first half.

Kansas City 12, Detroit 9 -- Matt Stairs hit two home runs, including a grand slam, and drove in six runs at Detroit, and Zack Greinke (2-11) won for the first time since May 31.