BOSTON (AP) – Curt Schilling pitched seven up-and-down innings to become the 104th member of the 200-win club, and Trot Nixon drove in three runs on Saturday night to help the Boston Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 6-4.

Schilling (8-2) allowed four runs and eight hits while striking out seven for his fourth victory in five starts. When he left to a standing ovation after seven, he tipped his cap to the crowd and waved to his family, which was cheering him on from a radio booth upstairs.

It was the 11th birthday of Schilling’s son Gehrig; during the second inning, the scoreboard displayed a picture of the two and “Happy Birthday” message. The family held up a sign that said, “Go Dad!”

Soon after Jonathan Papelbon pitched the ninth for his 18th save in 18 tries, Schilling came back out of the dugout to wave his hat and again acknowledge fans who chanted, “We want Curt!”

Schilling is the fourth pitcher to win his 200th game in a Red Sox uniform, joining Lefty Grove, Ferguson Jenkins and Luis Tiant. Schilling is eighth on the active victory list; former Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez was the last pitcher to surpass the 200 victory milestone, making it earlier this year with the New York Mets.

Seth McClung (2-6) allowed six runs, seven hits and five walks, striking out none in five innings as Tampa Bay lost for the fifth time in six games. McClung was 0-3 against Boston last year, allowing 12 runs in nine innings.

The Red Sox have won three straight and eight of their last 12.

The 39-year-old Schilling went 1-2-3 in three innings and faced just four batters in two others. But he gave up back-to-back doubles in the second and Josh Paul’s single one out later to give the Devil Rays a 2-1 lead. Boston scored four in the bottom half and made it 6-2 in the fourth before Schilling struggled again.

He gave up two runs and three hits, including a two-run double by No. 9 hitter Joey Gathright, before getting the first out in the fifth. But Schilling got Julio Lugo to line out to right, Carl Crawford to pop up to third and then celebrated with a fist pump when he struck out Toby Hall with a 94 mph fastball to end the inning.

J.T. Snow singled to lead off Boston’s four-run second, and two outs later Kevin Youkilis walked. Mark Loretta singled in one run and took second on the throw; with first base open and Manny Ramirez sitting out his first game of the season, Joe Maddon called for an intentional walk of David Ortiz.

Nixon doubled in two runs, and Ortiz scored on a wild pitch.

Notes: Tampa Bay 3B Aubrey Huff was ejected in the eighth for arguing a close call at first base. … OF Coco Crisp hit a two-run single in a rehab start at Triple-A Pawtucket. … Devil Rays OF Jonny Gomes did not start. He is 0-for-15 with 11 strikeouts against Schilling in his career. … Red Sox LHP David Wells might not miss a turn in the rotation despite leaving his last start after taking a line drive off his knee, manager Terry Francona said. Francona said an MRI showed nothing more than a bruise. Wells will be re-examined this weekend. … Ramirez missed his first game of the season because of a sore back, and center fielder Wily Mo Pena also was out of the lineup because of a sore wrist. Youkilis played left and Willie Harris started in center. Youkilis had never played outfield in the majors.

AP-ES-05-27-06 2211EDT

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