01:00 AM EDT on Friday, September 30, 2005

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

BOSTON -- As his time in the big leagues begins to add up, Jonathan Papelbon continues to show that he has star potential.

And he already has begun to show it as a rookie in the pressurized pennant race.

Last night, Papelbon tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing only a pair of opposite-field doubles, in earning the win in Boston's dramatic 5-4 victory over Toronto that enabled the Sox to hold serve in the three-way race for two playoff spots.

Papelbon's fastball was touching 95 mph, and his 86 mph slider was effective, too. But that isn't all, says manager Terry Francona when talking about papelbon, 22, who began this year in Double A.

"His stuff was so good tonight, but it's not just the stuff," said Francona. "He's so beyond his years. He knows he belongs. Extraordinary, that's what it is."

David Ortiz, the Sox' offensive hero yet again, was even more complimentary.

"That kid, man, he's something else," said Ortiz. "On TV they were saying something like it looked like he'd been in the league for 20 years. His attitude, his concentration. We've got a future Roger Clemens in the house."

Stanton in bullpen mix

There were only four games remaining on the Red Sox' regular-season schedule, and there's the specter of a fifth game, a playoff against New York at Yankee Stadium on Monday should the teams finish tied at the top in the American League East.

But Boston general manager Theo Epstein couldn't pass up veteran left-hander Mike Stanton, whom the Washington Nationals were ready to make available.

So Epstein acquired the well traveled Stanton for a pair of undistinguished minor-league right-handers, Rhys Taylor and Yader Peralta, before last night's game with the Blue Jays.

Stanton, 38, who was released by the Yankees on July 1 and signed with the Nationals 12 days later, was expected to join the Red Sox for his second stint around the scheduled first pitch. Stanton pitched for Boston in 1995-96.

Overall this year, Stanton is 3-3 with a 4.75 earned-run average in 55 games for New York and Washington.

How he was to be used wasn't clear as rain fell at Fenway Park yesterday afternoon, but Stanton likely will give Boston another situational left-hander to go along with Mike Myers, especially with New York's lineup featuring left-handed hitters Jason Giambi and Hideki Matsui with right-handed hitter Gary Sheffield in between.

"These last four or five games are likely to be close games, and maybe extra innings, and if we didn't get him and had a situation where Tito could have used him to get an out, we couldn't have lived with ourselves," said Epstein.

"This is not a panic or desperation move," said Epstein. "We had the opportunity to add a pitcher at a very low acquisition cost for the last four or maybe five games."

Stanton's E.R.A. was over 7.00 when the Yankees released him, but seemed to have regained his touch with the Nationals.

"Our scouting reports were decent," said Epstein. "He's excited. He's pitched in this rivalry before. He was released by the Yankees and he's being brought in and could be given a chance to beat them."

Epstein and Francona conceded that it is rare to make a trade this close to the end of the regular season. While the Sox made room for Stanton on the 40-man roster by moving injured pitcher Wade Miller to the 60-day disabled list, Stanton will not be eligible for the postseason roster because he wasn't in the Boston organization as of Sept. 1.

Damage control

The only satisfying aspect of his outing last night was that Matt Clement was able to limit the damage in his five-plus-innings performance.

Clement allowed four runs on eight hits. But he was able to keep the Jays from scoring when, after padding their lead to 4-1 in the fifth, they loaded the bases with one out. Clement got Alex Rios to tap back to the mound for a forceout at the plate. And he got Gabe Gross to ground out to first on a 3-and-2 pitch.

But Clement, who made the All-Star team by going 10-2 with a 3.85 earned-run average at the break, is 0-3 with a 7.20 E.R.A. over his last five starts. And since the All-Star break, he is 3-4 with a 5.72 E.R.A.

Arroyo goes to pen

Bronson Arroyo, who lasted only three-plus innings in his 79-pitch start Wednesday night, will be in the bullpen beginning tonight, when the Yankees invade Fenway Park.

How much Arroyo has to be used will have a direct impact on the Sox' starting pitching plans for Monday, when a playoff game between Boston and New York would be played in Yankee Stadium if the teams finished tied for the American League East title and a wild-card berth had been claimed by Cleveland.

Arroyo would be on his normal rest for Monday. If he has to pitch over the weekend, the Red Sox will have to find a Plan B.

Youkilis is an option

Kevin Youkilis, who suffered a fracture of the tip of his right ring finger on Sept. 18, could be an option off the bench for Francona this weekend in the big series against the Yankees.

Youkilis has been taking batting practice the last few days. Francona said last night he wouldn't start Youkilis, necessarily, but would consider him as a pinch hitter.

"There's a chance he'll be cleared for us to use off the bench," said Francona. "He swung the bat okay (Wednesday)."

Ortiz or A-Rod?

One major backdrop that will play out over the weekend concerns the MVP race in the American League.

Ortiz and New York's Alex Rodriguez are the top two candidates, with one last chance to influence voters as to their value to their respective teams when the Red Sox host the Yankees in their crucial three-game series.

Some opinions on who should get the award were offered in the Boston clubhouse yesterday afternoon.

Catcher Jason Varitek was asked whether the MVP award should go to the team that wins the American League East.

"No, I think it should go to David Ortiz, period," said Varitek.

The value of Damon

Johnny Damon is the type of player who helps win games in many ways, and he showed two of them in the third inning last night.

Damon won an 11-pitch battle with Toronto starter Scott Downs, poking a one-out single to right that sent Tony Graffanino to third. Damon barely fouled off three pitches, staying alive in the at-bat until he could reach out and softly hook his single to right.

And his speed helped the Sox score their run in the inning. Edgar Renteria hit a grounder to shortstop that could have been an inning-ending double play, but Damon got to second base so quickly that he was able to slide into Aaron Hill's legs, keeping the Jays' second baseman from attempting to make a relay throw as Graffanino scored.

Here and there

Clement drilled Vernon Wells with a riding fastball in the third. It was his 15th hit-batsman of the season, tops on the Red Sox and second in the league to the 18 plunked by Tampa Bay's Casey Fossum . . . . Ortiz was credited with his 11th infield hit on a grounder to the right side in the sixth. . . . Manny Ramirez's 42nd homer, a two-run shot into the Toronto bullpen in the sixth, was the 432nd of his career, pushing him past Cal Ripken and into 34th place on baseball's all-time list.