Schilling One Out From No-No

Lester pitches three-hit ball into seventh, Ortiz with two-run homer

(NEWSER) - Jon Lester pitched three-hit ball into the seventh inning, David Ortiz broke open a scoreless game with a two-run homer and the Boston Red Sox beat the Oakland Athletics 5-0 Wednesday. Kevin Youkilis had a double and a run-scoring single while setting the major league record for consecutive errorless games by a first baseman. The Red Sox defeated the A's for the third time in four games. More»

Red Sox pitcher hurls insults at slugger on home-run chase

(NEWSER) - Ace and blogger Curt Schilling let fly at Barry Bonds on Boston sports radio, asserting that the slugger's pursuit of the home-run record is irrevocably marred. Schilling contended that Bond admitted to using steroids and cheating on both his taxes and his wife, and this makes him "the biggest ass—who ever lived." More»

(NEWSER) - David Ortiz says he has never used steroids, despite his inclusion on baseball's infamous list of juicers from 2003, the Globe reports. “I used a lot of supplements and vitamins" back then, the Red Sox slugger said at a press conference today. He acknowledged being a "bit careless" in those days but stated definitively that never used or bought steroids. More»

Rays at the head of the class—Rockies, Marlins at the back

(NEWSER) - Report card time! Here’s how the rambunctious kids of MLB are doing so far, in Yahoo Sports’ Steven Henson’s estimation. A students—Rays, Red Sox, Cubs, Angels, White Sox Particular kudos go to the Rays, the poor kid who went to the head of the class. B students—Cardinals, Brewers, Twins, Phillies, Yankees, Athletics, Marlins, Orioles The Cardinals have a slight edge in the wildcard race. The Yankees, meanwhile, barely scrape together a B. More»

Love him or hate him, departing ace was a compelling figure

(NEWSER) - Plenty of fans adore Curt Schilling, plenty more harbor less admiring thoughts about him, and Kevin van Valkenburg, writing in the Baltimore Sun, feels a little bit of both. As the Red Sox pitcher faces a season-ending surgery, a look back at his career shows a gifted athlete with a compelling mix of arrogance, neediness, and grit. More»