Phoenix ? Michele Martufi and Linda Campbell of Phoenix are big Diamondbacks fans. This season, they moved from the lower level to the upper deck behind home plate at Bank One Ballpark so they could afford to see more games.

Tuesday night, they came to watch the Diamondbacks-Mets game. “The roof was open, the (outfield) panels were open, it was just beautiful. Awesome,” Martufi said.

But Friday, the roof and panels were closed at the request of Arizona starting pitcher Curt Schilling, who thinks the ball carries more, especially to left field, when the park is open. Arizona management will comply and close up shop every time Schilling pitches. Even with an opening-pitch temperature of 83 degrees outside, the Arizona-Montreal game was a 78-degree, indoor war and Matufi and Campbell felt like casualties.

“He should come up here and see how it feels. It’s so stuffy and uncomfortable,” Campbell said. “He pitched in the World Series with all that pressure, and the roof was open then. We built this park so it could be open on nights like this, and it’s a shame we’re stuck inside.”

Schilling allowed home runs to Vladimir Guerrero and Michael Barrett both would have been out, no matter the conditions but he also struck out 14 and allowed only five hits over seven innings in a 6-3 Diamondbacks win Friday. And to many fans, like Ken Kawamoto of Phoenix who sat in the left-field bleachers, winning the game was the most important thing. He thinks if Schilling feels better as a shut-in, so be it.

“If he strikes out 16 and we win, you can weld the roof shut forever as far as I’m concerned,” Kawamoto said.

Diamondbacks president Rich Dozer said it costs about $10,000 to shut the roof and cool BOB in early May as opposed to $20,000-$25,000 on a 100-degree day in July. But Shad and Danielle Patrick of Chandler said their seats in section 132 down the left-field line aren’t nearly as nice with the roof closed. Last year, the roof was open for night games until June 25.

“I totally disagree with (closing it),” Danielle said. “The atmosphere is ruined. It’s the same condition for both pitchers. If the Expos hit more home runs, then so will the Diamondbacks. What if all the pitchers decided they want it closed?”

“I love the stadium, but it loses something when it’s closed up,” Shad said.

Schilling’s theory didn’t seem to help him or Montreal starter Bruce Chen, who was touched for back-to-back-to-back home runs in the first inning by Danny Bautista, Steve Finley and Damian Miller of the Diamondbacks.

Jose Guillen also homered for Arizona, and he can thank Schilling indirectly. Guillen’s high, foul, pop-out in the eighth inning would have been easily caught in left field on an open-roof night. Instead, it struck a roof girder rendering it a dead ball. Guillen hit the next pitch 416 feet to give Arizona a 5-3 lead.