Kansas City, Mo. — Curt Schilling could find only one serious negative about his first start in four months - the final score.
The veteran right-hander, who had been in Boston's bullpen most of the season, got cuffed around in his first start since April, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Red Sox, 7-4, on Thursday night, their fourth victory in five games since a franchise-record 19-game losing streak.
"I didn't feel like I had super stuff, and I didn't feel like I had bad stuff," Schilling said. "I felt normal."
Schilling (5-6) went five innings, giving up six runs and nine hits. Making his first start since losing to Tampa Bay on April 23, he walked one and had five strikeouts, including the last two batters he faced.
"In the fifth inning I thought I got more comfortable," he said. "I didn't throw my first split until the ninth hitter of the game, which is not something that happens to me a lot. I only think I threw three in the first four innings. A lot of that was confidence. I didn't feel real comfortable with it."
Kansas City's Emil Brown, right, celebrates his seventh-inning home run with starting pitcher Jose Lima. Lima and the Royals beat the Boston Red Sox, 7-4, Thursday in Kansas City, Mo.
The six-time All-Star, who led the majors last year with 21 wins and then led the Red Sox to the World Series title, went on the disabled list April 29 because of a right ankle bruise after going 1-2 in three starts. He missed 69 games, then was 4-3 with nine saves in 11 opportunities while filling in for injured closer Keith Foulke. It was his first regular bullpen work since 1992.
He got the save in all three of the Red Sox' victories over the Royals on Aug. 2-4 in Boston.
"We got some hits off him early," said Emil Brown, who had three hits, including a 422-foot solo homer off Jonathan Papelbon in the eighth. "I wouldn't say he was a hittable pitcher. He didn't look ordinary."
Denny Hocking and Paul Phillips, Kansas City's Nos. 8 and 9 hitters, had RBI singles to left in the second and Terrence Long followed with an RBI single to center for a 3-0 lead.
Mike Sweeney doubled leading off the second and eventually scored from third on a fielder's choice grounder by Mark Teahen.
In the fifth, Hocking scored from first on a close play at the plate on David DeJesus' double. DeJesus scored on Long's sacrifice fly to make it 6-2.
Hocking's one-out RBI single was the first run the Royals scored behind Jose Lima (5-12) in 24 2/3 innings, just short of the team record of 25 1-3 scoreless innings behind Kevin Appier. Lima went five-plus innings and was charged with three runs and five hits. He walked two and had one strikeout.
"I don't think we saw Schilling at his best tonight," Kansas City manager Buddy Bell said. "But we took advantage of it and that's what we have to do when a guy like that is not at the top of his game."
Royals at Yankees
When: 6:05 tonight
Where: Yankee Stadium, New York
TV: Sunflower Broadband Channel 6
Pitchers: Mike Wood (4-4) vs. Randy Johnson (11-8)
K.C. record: 42-83
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