SAN FRANCISCO Schmidt dazzles again, blanks BoSox

The Giants pitcher almost missed his start with neck spasms.
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SAN FRANCISCO -- Considering that Jason Schmidt had neck spasms Sunday morning and wasn't sure he'd be able to start, the day turned out about as well as could be expected for him and the Giants.
Schmidt duplicated his one-hitter on May 18 in Chicago against the Cubs, buzz-sawing through an even more potent Boston Red Sox lineup during a 4-0 victory at SBC Park. (The Sox were the last team to be shut out this season.)
On that blustery night in the Windy City, Schmidt struck out 13 and didn't allow a hit until Michael Barrett's infield single with two out in the fifth.
"I think I was more dominant today," Schmidt said. "I was a lot sharper than I was in Chicago. I was stiff then. All-around, I felt better today."
This time, Schmidt took a no-hitter into the sixth, but it ended promptly on a double down the left-field line by Kevin Youkilis.
Schmidt walked two and struck out nine. He and Bronson Arroyo, an unlikely character to be going toe to toe with Schmidt, matched shutout innings through the sixth until Edgardo Alfonzo blasted a grand slam off Mike Timlin in the seventh.
Injury
Schmidt had the Giants concerned before the game. He said he bent over to pick up something and felt a shooting pain in his neck.
"The last time that happened to me, I got knocked out in the second inning against Minnesota last year," he said. "I was a little worried. But I had to pitch. We had no one else to pitch.
"I was looking forward to pitching against this team. I got some chiropractic work on my neck and when I was warming up it loosened up."
Schmidt extended his winning streak to nine games and became the first Giants pitcher to throw two one-hitters or better in a season since Gaylord Perry tossed a no-hitter and a one-hitter in 1968.
"There's not many guys who can do that," manager Felipe Alou said. "It's only June and he's already pitched two one-hitters.
"We believe every time he takes the mound he has a shot at pitching a no-hitter. That's the way I felt about Pedro Martinez when he pitched for me. You have to go to pitchers like that--Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, Pedro, [Curt] Schilling, [Randy] Johnson--to find guys that throw one-hitters a couple times within a month of each other."
In trouble
True, but there was a real chance Schmidt could have trailed in the sixth. After Youkilis' double, Arroyo apparently struck out on a bunt attempt.
The ball, however, got by catcher A.J. Pierzynski and Arroyo was headed back to the dugout when he was told by his teammates to run to first base. He reached safely, putting two runners on with no outs. Schmidt, however, escaped further damage.
"I guess I goofed up," Pierzynski said. "Schmidt crossed me up. I put down a sign and he threw me a different pitch. I told [umpire Randy] Marsh 'time,' but he didn't give it to me. I looked up and Arroyo came out of the dugout. My bad. Schmidt picked us up. He didn't get rattled."
The Giants did get their own break when Michael Tucker was called safe at third by umpire Paul Nauert on Barry Bonds' blooper to left field in the seventh. Replays indicated the throw by left fielder Kevin Millar beat Tucker to the base.
Alfonzo followed with his second game-winning homer in two days.