As if things weren’t bad enough for the Red Sox after returning home down 2-0 to the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series, they learned Friday that ace Curt Schilling cannot pitch Sunday in Game 5.
Boston manager Terry Francona said Schilling’s ankle was too sore to do his side session Thursday. Francona said doctors still will try to tailor a brace for Schilling’s right ankle that will allow him to stride and protect the torn tendon.
“As far as Sunday goes, he is not our starter,” Francona said. “After that . . . that’s as far as we go.”
Of course, if the Red Sox don’t turn things around in the next two days, they may not go as far as Sunday, and Schilling could be preparing for surgery.
Boston will send Bronson Arroyo to the mound Friday night in Game 3 against Kevin Brown of the Yankees.
All of a sudden, it’s New York that has the better of the pitching matchups after beating both Schilling and Pedro Martinez in the first two games at Yankee Stadium.
Orlando Hernandez will face Boston knuckleballer Tim Wakefield in Game 4 Saturday.
“For the Red Sox to lose a pitcher of that caliber has to affect them,” Yankees center fielder Bernie Williams said. “We feel we are a little bit more comfortable without him pitching.”
Schilling has a torn tendon in his right ankle that was aggravated when he turned the ankle in Game 1 of the division series against Anaheim.
He was fitted for a brace before Tuesday night’s Game 1 at Yankee Stadium, but the tendon still was “popping” over the bone, causing him to shorten his stride on his pitches, which cost him velocity on his fastball and allowed his split-finger fastball to hang up in the strike zone.
William Morgan, Boston’s team doctor, said Wednesday that Schilling would need surgery on the ankle once the season ends.
But thought Schilling would be able to pitch effectively if the brace could be fitted to keep the tendon in place.
But Boston general manager Theo Epstein said if Schilling could not pitch the way he normally does, he would not start and would be shut down for the rest of the postseason.
Epstein did not want Schilling to make adjustments in his delivery to compensate for his ankle and end up suffering another injury–perhaps to his shoulder.
Although Francona said Schilling would not start Sunday, he did not rule out using him back in New York if the Red Sox can extend the series.
“It’s not over,” Francona said of both Schilling’s and the Red Sox’s seasons. “He’s going to continue to try to prepare.”
Schilling’s loss and the Red Sox’s 0-2 hole puts a lot of pressure on Arroyo, who is in his first full season in the big leagues.
“We have guys on this staff who can pick up where [Schilling] left off,” Arroyo said. “But he’s obviously Curt Schilling for a reason, and if we don’t have him in the lineup, I think it’s definitely not going to help us in any way.”
Francona said Derek Lowe, who has won 52 games in the last three seasons, tied with Schilling and second only to Bartolo Colon for the most in the majors over the three-year span, would get a Game 5 start.
Lowe lost his spot in the playoff rotation with inconsistent starts and questioned before Wednesday night’s Game 2 why he wasn’t used in relief of Schilling in Game 1.
Francona could opt to bring Martinez back Sunday on three days’ rest. Martinez threw 113 pitches Wednesday night, giving up a two-run home run to John Olerud on his 106th pitch.
“I don’t think there is a need for anybody to tell me whether I should pitch on short rest or not,” Martinez said Wednesday. “I just see the need on my team and, if it’s up to me, I will pitch on short rest to pick up Schill.”
Unless they figure out a way to solve Yankees pitching, the Red Sox won’t have to worry about Sunday.
