Red Sox lefty David Wells labors but gets the run support he needs to continue his mastery of the lowly Kansas City Royals.

01:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, August 24, 2005

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY -- David Wells says he still hasn't shaken the "funk" that has plagued his health.

"I still feel like I'm under water. The right side of my head is clogged up," said Wells. "I don't get it. It's been about 10 days. I've been taking antibiotics and I still feel the funk or whatever it is you want to call it."

Fortunately for the Boston Red Sox' portly left-hander, though, he was facing the Kansas City Royals last night at Kauffman Stadium. Not only are the Royals the worst team in the majors, but Wells boasts a hex over them, as well.

So somehow it wasn't surprising, despite his health issue, that Wells was able to blank Kansas City in an abbreviated outing, as the Red Sox

did enough offensively to tumble the woeful Royals, 5-2.

Wells earned the win, improving to 10-6 this season and to 11-0 in his last 16 starts against Kansas City, dating back to May 5, 1993, when he was pitching for the Detroit Tigers.

"There are just some teams you pitch good against," said Wells with a shrug.

Last night, though, he lasted only five innings, and it took him 91 pitches to make it that far. Wells owed the victory in part to his offense, which erupted for three in the first and then one run in each of the next two innings in pinning another loss on Zack Greinke (3-15).

Grienke was stung for two-out, run-producing hits by Johnny Damon, Edgar Renteria (3 for 5) and David Ortiz in the third. Jason Varitek (homer in the fourth) and Trot Nixon (RBI double in the fifth) produced Boston's other runs against the Royals, who had won two in a row following a franchise-record 19-game losing streak.

The Sox, meanwhile, improved to 4-4 on the 10-game trip and maintained their 3 1/2-game lead over the New York Yankees in the American League East.

Reliever Jeremi Gonzalez should have gotten a portion of the win, too. The veteran right-hander, becoming a dependable long man, worked three scorless innings before turning the game over to Timlin, who allowed two runs before finally getting ex-PawSox star Chip Ambres to hit into a game-ending forceout with runners at the corners.

Timlin hurt his own cause with his inability to field a soft, looping comebacker. Gonzalez had no such troubles, fanning three and allowing only one baserunner, on a walk.

"The last couple of weeks he's been very effective and he's been taking the ball a lot," said manager Terry Francona of Gonzazlez. "He came into the game where we didn't need any excitement, and he gave us some good clean innings."

Not so for Wells, who was uncharacteristically wild. His walk-less stretch was snapped at 32 innings, and he threw a first-pitch ball to 9 of the 20 batters he faced. Wells walked two -- only the third time this season he has walked that many in a game -- and each walk came on four pitches.

"I wasn't even close with those eight pitches," said Wells, who gave up five hits and fanned five. "But I wasn't going to fight myself. If I did I'd be making it a long game."

Wells was helped out by the Royals and he also made some effective pitches when he needed to get out of a jam.

Kansas City did not go down in order in any inning against Wells, unless you consider Terrence Long running into an out on his two-out, none-on base hit to left with the Royals trailing in the fifth, 5-0. And twice Wells escaped trouble by inducing a double-play grounder, in each case with two runners on.

The Royals' biggest threat came in the second, when a walk and a bunt single with an error attached to it put runners at second and third with none out. But a grounder to first baseman John Olerud turned into an out at third, where two runners were perched. And after a flyout and a whiff, the danger was averted.

The closest the Royals came to scoring against Wells after that was a drive by Mike Sweeney that curved just foul past the left-field pole with runners at first and second and none out in the third. Sweeney rapped the next pitch into a double play, defusing the rally.

Still it was not vintage Wells, by any means. And Wells, for the third start in a row, didn't have the strength to protest the hook from Francona.

"I didn't think he commanded his fastball like he normally does," said Francona. "I thought he looked a little fatigued. He really didn't fight me that much."

Wells's next fight comes today, when he appeals his six-game suspension, slapped on him for allegedly bumping and spitting on umpires after being ejected from a July 2 start.

"I'm looking forward to it," said Wells of going through the appeals process.

He's also looking forward to shaking his virus because he knows he has to shoulder more of the load down the stretch.

"We're not running away with this thing," said Wells, who likely will miss his start Sunday, given an expected rejection of his appeal. "We need our veteran pitchers going after it."