BOSTON (AP) -Rookie Ubaldo Jimenez outpitched postseason star Curt Schilling for the first three innings, and the Colorado Rockies led the Boston Red Sox 1-0 Thursday night in Game 2 of the World Series.
A day after the Red Sox romped 13-1, Jimenez did not allow a hit in the early going. The Rockies, meanwhile, used their speed to set up an RBI grounder by Todd Helton.
After a day off Friday, the series resumes Saturday night in Denver. Daisuke Matsuzaka, the winner in Game 7 of the AL championship series over Cleveland, faces Josh Fogg.
Jimenez, a 23-year-old righty who throws a fastball at nearly 100 mph, escaped his closest call in the third. After Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis drew two-out walks, bringing the sold-out Fenway Park crowd to its feet, David Ortiz hit a line drive down the right-field line.
The ball hooked foul – barely – at Pesky’s Pole, and Ortiz lingered near first base and grimaced after the near miss. Once he got back in the batter’s box, Ortiz struck out with a check-swing on a slider.
For the first time in five games, the Red Sox failed to score in the first inning.
The Rockies went ahead 1-0 in the first with the help of some sloppy play by Boston. Schilling hit speedy leadoff batter Willy Taveras with a pitch. After Kaz Matsui flied out, Matt Holliday hit a hard single that deflected off third baseman Mike Lowell’s glove.
Lowell retrieved the ball but threw it past Schilling, who was late covering the base, leaving runners at second and third. Helton drove in Taveras with a groundout to first.
Schilling retired seven of the last eight batters he faced in the first three innings, allowing only a single to Brad Hawpe, who struck out four times in the opener.
The 40-year-old Schilling was pitching his 19th postseason game. He began the 48-degree night with a 10-2 record and a 2.25 ERA in those games and was co-MVP of the 2001 World Series with Arizona.
Jimenez was recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs a week after the All-Star game and appeared in 15 regular-season games, going 4-4 with a 4.28 ERA. He allowed one run in each of his two previous postseason starts this year but was not involved in the decisions in wins over Philadelphia and Arizona.
Jimenez’s performance was a welcome change for Colorado after Game 1 starter Jeff Francis allowed four runs in the first two innings.
Pedroia, who led off the bottom of the first with a homer on Wednesday, was retired on a routine fly to left. Youkilis, 16-for-33 in his last eight games, flied out to center and Ortiz grounded out.
Jimenez started the second by getting Manny Ramirez and Lowell on grounders, then hit J.D. Drew in the ankle with a pitch. But he ended the inning by getting Jason Varitek on a called third strike.
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