KANSAS CITY -- How can somebody so unpredictable be so predictable? This is the riddle that follows Alfredo Aceves.

The perception -- and reality -- is that Aceves is a non-stop man in motion, both physically and verbally, often times going down one path and then suddenly veering off in an entirely different direction.

"I always put my cards on the table," he said. "I don't (bullcrap), so I don't have anything in the back of my mind."

But there are constants.

Since he was 18 years old he has always begun each inning by kneeling over in back of the pitching mound and drawing a cross followed by his uniform number (91, picked due to his admiration of NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman) and the letter "M." "The letter 'M' is an important letter for a lot of reasons," he said. "It is 'mother' and 'Martinez,' which is my second last name."

He has worn the same piece of cloth around his neck since November, given to him by the mother of the patient lying next to him in the hospital where he underwent surgery on his broken clavicle. "She said to never take it off," Aceves commented. "So I haven't."

And then there are the results.

Like so many times before this season, Friday night saw the 29-year-old come in and bridge what could have been a very awkward gap. This time it was a 3 2/3-inning relief stint in which he allowed just two baserunners after starter Andrew Miller departed in a 7-1 Sox win over the Royals.

It marked the 12th time this season Aceves has pitched three or more innings, compiling a 6-1 record with a 2.92 ERA in such situations. In his last four relief outings that saw the righty go at least three frames, he hasn't allowed a run.

How he reaches that successful destination is a ride few have totally figured out.

"He grabs the ball and throws it," catcher Jarrod Saltamacchia said of his batterymate Friday night. "Sometimes you have to kind of bring him back to where we're at. But the guy's got great stuff. He's been a huge, huge help for this team."

To get another idea of how effective Aceves has been, compare him to injured hurler Clay Buchholz. Buchholz has thrown 1/3 innings and 44 pitches more than Aceves this season, but it is the reliever who has the better ERA (3.06) than the starter (3.48).

The righty has pitched in back-to-back games six times, and on one day's rest 10 times. He has appeared in the sixth inning in 16 games, in the seventh 19 and the eighth on 16 occasions. Aceves has made four starts, and, oh yes, just happens to be 22-2 for his career.

So, how did this player -- who also just happens to be under the team's control for three more seasons after this year -- land with the Red Sox?

Semi-long story short: He had back issues, which led the Yankees to suggest a bike-riding regimen for Aceves' offseason instead of running. On one of those bike rides he fell off, breaking his clavicle and leading to the pitcher hitch-hiking his way to a hospital. It also led the Yankees to non-tender the hurler for fear of how the most recent ailment would affect the rehabilitation of his back.

So, here he is. But Aceves' success hasn't been as simple as just a change of scenery.

First and foremost, he has remained healthy.

Second, there has been an education in eating.

"I got that in the back of my head. I didn't want to go back on the DL," said Aceves regarding his motivation to stay in good health. "I learned this year with [Red Sox nutritionist] Tara [Mardigan] … teaching us how to eat well, better than we used to eat. Obviously that worked."

Aceves would then explain exactly how the management of carbohydrates has translated into outs.

"This is forming something for the future," he said. "My velocity is high -- 94, 95, 93, 95, 94. When I was with the Yankees it was 92, but I was chunky. I was 20 or 30 pounds more. The other day I was watching the video and I was more slow. … We live day by day. You prepare today. You prepare for the future."

As Aceves talks he often veers to and fro. There is a bit about his brother, Jonathan, and the championships he won in Mexico as a catcher using aggressive defense.

"He said the best defense is to attack," the Sox pitcher said. "I think it's true and makes sense for a pitcher. … Attack, attack, attack!"

There are references to his "multi-job" and how he would soon like to narrow his responsibilities.

"I really appreciate [that] the Red Sox gave me an opportunity," Aceves said. "Since I got to the United States I've been healthy and contributed to the teams I've been on, the New York Yankees and Boston. They want relievers. I'm a reliever. Starter? Starter. I want to step forward in my career. I want to be a starter, that's what I've been saying since spring training."

Things, however, aren't going to change, this season anyway. Aceves is just too valuable where he is.

"That's what I am. That's what I am," he said. "I can't do anything about it. We pitch. It doesn't matter what role."