What's Wrong With Schilling?

Dead arm? Bad luck? Age?

DATE       IP   H  R ER BB SO  NP-ST
0512  BAL  5.1  9  4  4  2  4  95-65
0517  DET  6.0  8  2  2  4  6 118-74
0523 @NYY  6.0 12  6  5  0  3  93-64
0528  CLE  7.0  6  1  1  0 10 114-77
0602  NYY  5.0  9  4  4  1  2  75-49
0607 @OAK  9.0  1  0  0  0  4 100-71
0613  COL  5.0  9  6  5  1  5  98-72
0618 @ATL  4.1 10  6  6  2  0  81-50
    
          47.2 64 29 27 10 34 ERA: 5.10

In six of his last eight starts, he has been horrible. I'm including May 17 in that category, since, despite it being a "quality start", he allowed 12 base runners in six innings.

His season WHIP stands at 1.357 -- which would be the third-worst of his career, after 2005 and 1994 (during which had a tender elbow and left knee surgery). Schilling has allowed 109 hits this year; only one pitcher has allowed more: Zack Duke, 120 (Kyle Lohse also has allowed 109).

Last night, Schilling had no command of any pitch and his fastball was consistently below 90 (there may have been one that topped out at 91). He went to two strikes on eight Atlanta hitters and did not record a strikeout -- his first start without a K in 14 years.

More than one SoSHer said he simply looked bewildered on the mound. As BCsMightyJoeYoung posted: "The most telling factor was that Tito had the pen up in the 4th - when it was still 2-1." Unfortunately, he let the score get to 6-1 before he took action.