Stanley, Red Sox Crush Royals

Welcome to Kansas City, Brian Barber.

One day after being called up from Triple-A, the 25-year-old right-hander lasted just 1 2/3 nightmarish innings Wednesday night as Mike Stanley homered twice and drove in six runs and Tim Wakefield pitched a five-hitter, leading Boston to an 11-1 romp over the Royals.

"It was ugly," Barber said. "Can't say much else about it. Not quite the debut here I wanted to give."

Stanley, a former Red Sox player who was re-acquired from Toronto on July 30, hit a two-run homer in Boston's four-run first inning and added a two-run single in the four-run second.

In the fourth, with two out and Mo Vaughn on first, he tied his career high with his 26th home run for a 10-0 Boston lead.

"I got a fastball in and I was able to get it up in the air," Stanley said. "The second one was a little changeup. He threw it to me the pitch before and I was looking for it and was able to get it up in the air."

It was the third two-homer game of the season for Stanley, who came within about five feet of a third home run in the sixth.

"That one got in on me a little bit. I didn't quite hit it," he said. "I was surprised it went as far as it did."

Wakefield (15-5), mixing in fastballs and other pitches with his knuckleball, had his first complete-game vitory since July 27, 1997 against Seattle. He had five walks and no strikeouts and came close to matching his career-best three-hitter of June 9, 1995.

"I was pretty consistent in the strike zone," he said. "I didn't have any strikeouts, but the offense gave us a lot of runs early and made my job a lot easier."

Wakefield lost his shutout when Johnny Damon doubled and Larry Sutton lifted an RBI single into left. The right-handed knuckleballer is one win away from tying his career high.

Barber, who was 2-1 with St. Louis in 1995, gave up seven hits and eight runs, walked three and struck out none.

Five of the first six batters in the Boston lineup scored twice and the Red Sox sent 17 batters to the plate in the first two innings.

John Valentin and Damon Buford each had three hits. Damon had two doubles and two RBI as the Royals lost their fifth in a row and 10th in 13.

Vaughn and Troy O'Leary also had RBI in the first. In the second, Vaughn had a sacrifice fly and Buford an RBI single.

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