Projo Sports Blog

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Curt Schilling got off to a good start for the 2007 season tonight, throwing two scoreless innings in the Red Sox' exhibition opener against the Minnesota Twins.

“I expect to be the ace of this staff,’’ Schilling said after his outing. “Being 40 has nothing to do with my expectations.’’

The Sox jumped out to a 4-1 lead over the Twins in the early innings last night.

In other Red Sox news, Matt Clement will be absent from camp for a few days following a death in the family . . . Mike Timlin (oblique strain) is still waiting to be cleared for a mound session before he can pitch in a game . . . Jon Lester, who is being brought along slowly after his battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma last year, will throw an inning in a ``B’’ game Monday against Minnesota. He’ll repeat that work load two days later, then start in a minor league game at the end of next week. ''We’ll ratchet up the intensity (as camp progresses),’’ said manager Terry Francona . . . The Sox will most likely go with a seven-man bullpen, but Francona said the club won’t have a designated long man. ''I’d rather have a bullpen (set up) to get outs,’’ Francona said. ''If it happens where a starter get knocked out of a game early, we’ll just piece it together. I’d hate to have a guy sitting down there, just waiting for us to get our (butts) kicked.’’

-- SEAN McADAM

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