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Schilling has no need for relief

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In this era of five-inning starters and career-ending arm injuries, Philadelphia Phillies ace Curt Schilling is going against the trend. Schilling is on a quest to return baseball to its roots. He's doing his part to bring nostalgia back to the game by throwing complete games.

There's no need for the setup man or closer when Schilling's day in the rotation comes around.

Curt Schilling's six complete games are more than any other team. (AP)

Heading into his start Thursday against San Francisco, Schilling (8-2) has pitched five consecutive complete games.

"I do know that I run into a lot more guys that have a smile on their face when I get pulled after six innings winning 4-1 than guys that are angry," Schilling said.

Schilling's last start was a four-hit shutout of usually high-scoring Colorado. It was his sixth complete game this season, not only leading the majors individually but surpassing every other team in both leagues.

"That's why we have no intention of ever letting him go," said Phillies manager Terry Francona. "That's why teams are clamoring for him."

Schilling did more than pitch his first shutout of the season and 13th of his career May 29 against the Rockies. He did so by blowing away All-Stars Larry Walker, Dante Bichette and Vinny Castilla in the ninth inning.

After striking out Walker with a 96-mph fastball and winning a 13-pitch battle with Bichette with a 98-mph heater, Schilling struck out Castilla on three pitches. The last one was a merciless 93-mph splitter, his 135th of the game.

So much for pitch counts.

"I had a ton left," Schilling said. "I try to reach back in the ninth inning."

Staying strong late in games allowed Schilling to become just the fifth pitcher ever to strike out 300-plus batters in back-to-back seasons when he added 300 last season to 319 in 1997. Only Nolan Ryan -- 329 in 1972, 383 in 1973 and 367 in 1974 -- has ever passed 300 three consecutive seasons.

Schilling's desire to complete games showed a bad side May 23, in New York, when he inexplicably squandered a 4-0 lead in the ninth inning, hitting two batters and losing to the Mets 5-4. It's no surprise he used that failure to prepare for his shutout of the Rockies.

"Yeah, it motivated me," said Schilling. "How could it not? To lose a game like that all by yourself is tough. It was a tough five days for me."

Francona took some heat for leaving Schilling on the mound in the ninth against the Mets. John Olerud completed New York's comeback with a game-winning single on Schilling's 138th pitch.

"Pitch counts, for the most part, are incredibly overrated," Schilling said. "I've thrown 100 pitches and felt like it was 150 because I made the 10 toughest pitches at the end."

Schilling, 92-79 in his career but 40-27 in the past three seasons, is a throwback to a more durable time in baseball when relievers weren't used often and arm troubles weren't as prominent as they are today.

Phillies fans know of Robin Roberts' 28 straight complete games in 1953 and Steve Carlton's 30 complete games in 1972, the year he had 27 of Philadelphia's 59 wins.

The 300-inning, complete-game pitcher has disappeared with the five-man rotation but Schilling brings back that durability every fifth day. He led the National League with 15 complete games last season. Baltimore's Scott Erickson led the AL with 11.

"It's not something you teach," Schilling said. "`It's something you're raised with."

Only two other pitchers this decade have had five consecutive complete games -- Pat Hentgen for Toronto in 1996 and Philadelphia's Tommy Greene in 1993.

Schilling goes for his sixth straight complete game on Thursday afternoon against the Giants, something no one else has done this decade.

He'll expect nothing less.