Kansas City, Mo. ? Just back from the disabled list, Mike Sweeney sent the Boston Red Sox to another costly loss.

Sweeney hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning, capping a two-run rally against rookie closer Jonathan Papelbon that carried the Kansas City Royals to a 5-4 victory Wednesday night.

“I read the stats and I saw Jonathan’s ERA was 0.64, and I knew he wasn’t going to walk many guys, so I just told myself to get a good pitch,” Sweeney said. “I was looking for the hard stuff. He throws 97-98 mph. He’s the best closer in baseball right now.”

A five-time All-Star, Sweeney came off the 60-day DL on Tuesday after missing 88 games due to a bulging disc in his back.

“I told myself to get a base hit and let’s end this game,” he said. “I felt very excited. I was very overwhelmed at the emotion. The last three months has been extremely tough on me being out, the scrutiny, the battles I’ve gone through with my back. It was very, very rewarding tonight. It is the best feeling I’ve felt in a long time on the baseball field.”

Manny Ramirez homered to extend his career-best hitting streak to 24 games, and Javy Lopez added a two-run double for Boston on a 102-degree night. But Papelbon (3-2) failed to hold a 4-3 lead in the ninth, costing Josh Beckett his 14th win and leaving the Red Sox with a four-game losing streak.

The Kansas City Royals' Mark Teahen drives the ball into an outfield gap for a two-run double in the fourth inning against the Boston Red Sox. The Royals scored twice in the ninth to secure a 5-4 victory Wednesday at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

All four losses have come against Tampa Bay and Kansas City, the two worst teams in the American League. Boston also fell three games behind the first-place New York Yankees in the AL East.

Pinch-hitter Esteban German led off the Kansas City ninth with a triple. After Joey Gathright struck out, David DeJesus tied the score with a sacrifice fly to left.

Mark Grudzielanek doubled, and Sweeney lined the next pitch to left field. Ramirez didn’t even bother with a throw to the plate.

“Esteban had the big hit. Grud had the big hit,” Sweeney said. “You can’t call me hero. It was a team effort. I’ve been out three months, and I’m very blessed, very excited. We haven’t won too many games, and not many by dramatic fashion.”

It was Papelbon’s fifth blown save in 35 opportunities and his second in his past two chances.

“After striking out Gathright to get that one out, I’m thinking I’ve got a little bit of momentum,” Papelbon said. “But I’m already getting ahead of myself there when I should have taken it one pitch at a time. I just didn’t execute my pitches. It’s pretty simple.

“It was a good pitch to German. I had him 3-2, and I simply had to execute a fastball away, which was our plan. I was trying to do too much. It’s a learning curve for me.”

Scott Dohmann (1-1) pitched 12â3 scoreless innings for the win.

Ramirez hit a two-run shot to center with two outs in the first inning. His hitting streak is the longest in the AL this season.