Red Sox-Royals (August 23, 2005)

Over the course of a 162-game schedule a team will find many ways to win (and lose) games. But the fashion in which the Boston Red Sox won their game on Sunday in Anaheim -- a game they absolutely needed to win in order to create more space between themselves and the Yankees in the A.L. East -- was a little more than extraordinary. First of all, rookie starter Jonathan Papelbon gave the Red Sox another solid start. He did not get the decision but his shut-out ball for 5 2/3-innings put the Sox in position for the win. Then with two outs in a 0-0 game in the eighth inning, Edgar Renteria hit a three-run home run. The next batter, David Ortiz, laid down a Willie McGee-esque bunt down the third base line to beat the shift which was followed by an Angels pitching change from Paul Byrd to Brendan Donnelly and then Manny Ramirez' 33rd-home run of the season. The final was 5-1 (Schilling had a bumpy ninth inning) and the Sox salvaged a split out in California. How many times did you ever think you would be able to see Renteria hit the clutch, late inning home run while Big Papi was dropping down well timed bunts? That's baseball for you -- anything can and will happen during the long, hot summer. Tonight the Red Sox open a three-game series with the struggling Kansas City Royals. The Sox swept the Royals at Fenway in August, in the midst of a 19-game losing streak for K.C. that ended over the weekend against Oakland. Boston will start David Wells (9-6, 4.70), who is coming off of a terrible start his last time out in Detroit. K.C. will counter with Zack Greinke (3-14, 6.02). Despite his numbers, Greinke is actually a good, young pitching prospect. NESN and WEEI have the game locally, beginning at 8:10 p.m.