NEW YORK - Pitching with power and purpose on a healthy ankle, Curt Schilling came through with another clutch performance at Yankee Stadium.
Schilling pitched eight sharp innings for his first win since returning to Boston's rotation, and Manny Ramirez busted out of a rare slump with a homer and three RBIs to lead the Red Sox past New York 9-2 Saturday.
"That's the Schilling that everybody knows," teammate David Ortiz said.
Playing without catalyst Johnny Damon, the Red Sox piled up 16 hits and rebounded from a sloppy performance in their series-opening 8-4 loss. Boston regained a four-game lead in the East over the Yankees, who began the day a half-game behind Cleveland in the wild-card race.
"We're running out of games," New York manager Joe Torre said. "This is our playoffs right now. We need to fight our way into the postseason."
John Olerud also homered off a shaky Shawn Chacon, who was chased during a six-run fourth. The Yankees made two ugly errors in the inning and blew two potential double plays that could have limited the damage.
At the scene of his gritty win in Game 6 of last season's AL Championship Series, Schilling delivered by far his best outing since offseason ankle surgery. He snatched Bernie Williams' first-inning comebacker with his bare hand, retired the first eight batters before committing a harmless error and did not yield a hit until Jason Giambi's 28th homer with one out in the fourth.
Schilling struck out six and walked two in his seventh start this season. Slowly working his way back from a dislocated ankle tendon that famously left blood seeping through his sock during the 2004 postseason, the right-hander, 38, has been trying to find his All-Star form.
"I feel great," Schilling said after allowing five hits. "Physically, I've had no problems. It's just a combination of performance and confidence."
After an inconsistent stint as Boston's closer, he entered 0-2 with a 7.79 ERA in three starts since returning to the rotation Aug. 25.
He got plenty of support from Boston's powerful offense. Tony Graffanino moved into Damon's leadoff spot and got three hits, including a triple. Trot Nixon had a two-run single, and Ortiz added his 123rd RBI.
New York was missing ailing slugger Gary Sheffield and catcher Jorge Posada. Randy Johnson, who turned 42 on Saturday, starts today's series finale against knuckleballer Tim Wakefield.
"It's huge," Torre said. "You win the first game of the series, you want to win the series."
Chacon retired the first two batters and got ahead 0-and-2 on Ortiz, but the slugger worked a walk. Ramirez then drove a 2-and-2 pitch beyond the retired numbers in left-center and into the Boston bullpen.
It was Ramirez's first home run in 63 at-bats since Aug. 21 against the Angels. The World Series MVP entered with five hits in his previous 31 at-bats.
"About time," Ortiz said. "We need him."
Olerud homered into the rightfield upper deck leading off the fourth. Bill Mueller and Gabe Kapler followed with singles, sending Chacon to the showers after three-plus innings, his shortest stint in 21 starts for Colorado and New York.
