KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- David Wells and the Boston Red Sox

maintained their mastery of Kansas City with a 5-2 victory Tuesday

night, snapping the Royals' two-game winning streak that followed a

team-record 19 straight losses.

Edgar Renteria had three hits and Jason Varitek hit a towering

home run for Boston, which handed the Royals their team-record

ninth straight loss at home.

Wells (10-6) allowed five hits in five shutout innings for his

11th straight win over the Royals, raising his lifetime record

against Kansas City to 16-3.

Jeremi Gonzalez pitched three hitless innings and Mike Timlin

worked the ninth, giving up two runs on Donnie Murphy's single with

the bases loaded.

The Royals snapped the 19-game losing streak on Saturday night

at Oakland and beat the Athletics again on Sunday.

Wells worked out of jams in the first and second and issued two

walks for only the third time this season. The left-hander has not

lost to Kansas City since May 5, 1993, while with Detroit.

Zack Greinke (3-15) became the first major league pitcher with

15 losses as the Red Sox beat the Royals for the fourth time in as

many games this season. Since 2001, the Red Sox are 20-8 against

Kansas City and have guaranteed themselves of winning the season

series for the fifth straight year.

Greinke, in his first appearance against the Red Sox, gave up

five runs and nine hits, with two walks and three strikeouts. His

ERA climbed to 6.04.

Renteria had an RBI single in a three-run third. After Bill

Mueller doubled and scored on a two-out double by Johnny Damon,

Renteria's first hit scored Damon to make it 2-0. Then David Ortiz

doubled for a 3-0 lead.

Varitek led off the fourth with his 21st home run, a 418-foot

shot over the fence in right on a 3-2 pitch that gave him eight

homers and 20 RBI in his last 23 games.

Renteria singled leading off the fifth and scored on an RBI

double by Trot Nixon, who was activated from the disabled list

earlier Tuesday.Game notes
Both Wells and Kansas City RHP Runelvys Hernandez will have

their hearings on Wednesday regarding suspensions. Wells was

suspended six games for a confrontation with umpires and Hernandez

drew a 10-game suspension for throwing at batters. ... The Red Sox

optioned LHP Lenny Dinardo to Triple-A Pawtucket to make room for

Nixon. ... This was the start of a 13-game, 13-day grind for the

Red Sox.