Newz Forum: BASEBALL: Red Sox offense gives Schilling 19th win of the season

SEATTLE -- When the Red Sox are coming off a loss, they want Curt Schilling on the mound.

Schilling became the first 19-game winner in the major leagues this year and Manny Ramirez homered twice, including his second grand slam of the season, to lead Boston over the Seattle Mariners 13-2 Friday night.

Schilling (19-6) won his sixth straight start, his longest winning streak since he won six in a row with Arizona from June 30 to July 27, 2002. He allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings, walking none for the fifth consecutive start. Schilling is 10-3 following Boston losses, winning seven in a row.

"I wanted to come here and I wanted to help this team get to a World Series," Schilling said. "Right now, it's working out that way. We're playing great baseball and things are going well for us."

David Ortiz hit a go-ahead homer in a five-run sixth inning, and Johnny Damon had three RBI for the Red Sox, who cut the New York Yankees' AL East lead to 2½ games. Before the game, Schilling watched some of the Yankees' 14-8 loss at Baltimore.

"I realized a lot of good things could happen tonight," he said.

Mariners manager Bob Melvin, Arizona's bench coach when Schilling and Randy Johnson helped the Diamondbacks beat the Yankees in the World Series three years ago, thinks Schilling might be a better pitcher now.

"He was throwing some stuff I haven't seen him throw before," Melvin said. "He has picked up a cutter and a two-seamer."

Ramirez tied Ted Williams and Jimmie Foxx for fifth on the career grand slam list at 17, passing Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth. The only players ahead of Ramirez are Lou Gehrig (23), Eddie Murray (19), and Willie McCovey and Robin Ventura (18 each).

Ramirez, who hit a solo homer in the fourth off Ryan Franklin (3-15) and the grand slam in the seventh against Aaron Taylor, reached 40 homers for the fourth time in his career, the first since 2001. Ortiz and Ramirez have homered in the same game 12 times this season.

"When Manny hit both those balls, he looked like he was out in front of them," manager Terry Francona said. "But he used his hands and his wrists. I'm glad he's on our side."

Ramirez, Boston's left fielder, made an error on Dan Wilson'sIchiro Suzuki went 0-for-4, ending his 14-game hitting streak. Suzuki has 229 hits, 28 shy of the record George Sisler set in 1920.

Franklin (3-15), gave up seven runs -- three earned -- six hits in three walks in 5 2/3 innings, dropping to 0-11 in 17 starts since beating the Chicago White Sox on June 5. He is Seattle's first 15-game loser since Erik Hanson was 8-17 in 1992.

Franklin wasn't around to talk to the media after the game. His grandmother died two days ago and he left immediately after showering to take a plane Spiro, Okla., his hometown, for the funeral Saturday.

Bret Boone's RBI double in the second put Seattle ahead, but Boston took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on Ramirez's first homer and Orlando Cabrera's sacrifice fly. Boone's 22nd homer retied it in the bottom half.

After Ortiz homered in the sixth, Dave Roberts had an RBI double, Damon a two-run triple that chased Franklin and Mark Bellhorn an RBI single off Masao Kida. Four runs were unearned because rookie shortstop Jose Lopez misplayed Kevin Millar's one-out grounder.