Biggest Win of the Red Sox Season?

When it's all said and done, this might end up being the biggest win of the season.

Dustin Pedroia hit a two-out, three-run homer and Xander Bogaerts followed with a solo shot to help the Red Sox leave Anaheim 5-3 victors and with reason for optimism heading into Monday's trading deadline.

This one could have far-reaching impact.

In the short term, Boston needed a win, plain and simple. With Baltimore and Toronto trading the division lead over the weekend, the Sox got to 1 1/2 games back before heading to Seattle for a four-game set.

In the long term, Pedroia's hit may give an already aggressive Dave Dombrowski just enough of an excuse to keep buying for what had been a slumping Sox team. Already having acquired Drew Pomeranz, Brad Ziegler, and others, Dombrowski now has to decide if one big move - Chris Sale? Jay Bruce? - will be enough to coax an October appearance out of this team.

Boston came real close to heading into Monday's 4 p.m. deadline with another frustrating loss. But with two men on, two out, and trailing, 3-1, in the top of the ninth inning, Pedroia muscled a home run into center field off Huston Street. Bogaerts followed suit with an insurance home run, and Ziegler, who needed to rid himself of some bad mojo, nailed down the save.

Clay Buchholz pitched very well in what might have been the last game of his Red Sox career. The 31-year-old righthander has been awful this season, and whether he is traded or the Sox make him expendable with the addition of another arm, Sunday could have been a farewell performance. If so, he went out with a bang - Buchholz threw three innings of no-hit baseball to secure the victory.