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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Two homers is a good season for Tom Prince.
Two homers in one day? Don't even go there.
Prince did, hitting as many homers in one afternoon as he had in
Three Rivers Stadium in six seasons with Pittsburgh, and Curt
Schilling pitched a three-hitter as the Philadelphia Phillies beat
the Pirates 4-1 Sunday.
|  | | Curt Schilling followed up a four-hit loss to the Yankees earlier this week with Sunday's three-hit victory over the Pirates. |
Prince, a career backup catcher, hadn't homered since Sept. 2,
1997, until hitting a three-run shot off Todd Ritchie (5-6) on a
full-count pitch in the second inning. Pat Burrell and Alex Arias
singled ahead of the homer.
Prince, who had 11 homers in 14 major league seasons before
Sunday, added a solo homer -- also off Ritchie -- in the seventh to
complete a career-high four-RBI game.
"This was Tom Prince's day," Schilling said. "What a day for
him, from calling the game and working the strike zone to driving
in all four runs. He had a tremendous game."
The multiple-homer game was a first for Prince, a light-hitting
catcher who has stayed in the majors mostly because of his defense
and ability to call pitches. Until Sunday, he had only two
multiple-homer seasons, hitting two for the Pirates in 1993 and
three for the Dodgers in 1997.
His last two-homer game was for Triple-A Buffalo, so long ago
even he doesn't remember the details.
"It's great to hit two home runs but, honestly, winning is the
only thing I care about," said Prince, who is getting extra
playing time with regular catcher Mike Lieberthal on the disabled
list.
Prince hit .180 with two homers and 23 RBI while playing for
the Pirates from 1987-93, but is batting .357 (10-for-28) against
them since leaving the team.
"One thing about Tom Prince, he's going to be swinging,"
Pirates manager Gene Lamont said, declining to apologize for
letting such a light hitter beat his team. "He's not noted for his
power, but he will be up there swinging the bat."
Schilling (6-6) didn't need much support as he dominated the
Pirates, as usual, striking out six and walking two. He is 5-1 in
Three Rivers, which will be leveled after this season.
The Phillies, once the Pirates' main rivals in the NL East,
finished 87-148 in Three Rivers, which opened in 1970 and was the
setting of several pivotal late-season series between the Phillies
and Pirates later that decade.
Schilling, 10-4 in his career against Pittsburgh, took a
one-hitter into the seventh before the Pirates scored on a
Ritchie's infield single that deflected off second baseman Mickey
Morandini, another single, a force play and Brian Giles'
bases-loaded walk.
Schilling struck out John Vander Wal with the bases loaded to
end the threat of a big inning, the first of the 10 consecutive
batters he retired to finish the game.
Every time he goes to the mound, Schilling seemingly makes it
harder for the Phillies to trade him.
"I'm not even thinking about that," he said. "All I know is
that I pitch again in five days."
Schilling, admittedly still not fully recovered from offseason
shoulder surgery, has held the Pirates to two runs and 11 hits in
beating them twice this month, also winning 9-1 on July 2.
"He used to throw 94-95 (mph) all the time," Giles said.
"Today, he worked both sides of the plate well. He was throwing
91-92, but when he had to make pitches (in the sixth), he was
throwing 94-95. The ability to throw pitches like that is what
makes him the pitcher he is."
Schilling has pitched at least seven innings in his last eight
starts, pitching complete games in his last two starts. However, he
said he still isn't back to where he was before the surgery.
"Mentally, I'm having to do a lot of extra things now to
compete," he said. "Every fifth day is different. It's never
consistent, it's coming in bits and pieces."
By winning, the Phillies avoided a three-game weekend sweep by
Pittsburgh and stopped the Pirates' three-game winning streak.
Game
notes
The Phillies have won six of Schilling's last eight starts.
... Schilling's victory was his 101st, tying him with Al Orth for
sixth place in Phillies history. ... Prince came into the game
hitting .208. ... The Pirates have lost their last six Sunday games
and are 3-12 on Sundays this season. ... Before Prince's two
homers, the Pirates had outhomered their opponents 25-8 since July
4. ... The time of the game was 2 hours, 3 minutes. ... Schilling
has four complete games since returning to the Phillies' rotation
April 30.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Philadelphia Clubhouse
Pittsburgh Clubhouse
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Boston 1
Chi. White Sox 0
Detroit 12
Kansas City 9
NY Yankees 5
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Baltimore 1
Cleveland 8
Minnesota 3
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Anaheim 0
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Houston 15
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