Sox reign over Texas

From Manny Ramírez getting caught off second base on a grounder to the second baseman (unassisted), to Ramírez's jete in left field in the fourth inning that allowed a triple to Mark Teixeira, to Ramírez's tiebreaking single off the second base bag in the fifth, to Ramírez's lackadaisical catch of a fly ball in left in the sixth, the fingerprints of the slugger were indelible. But so, too, were those of Matsuzaka -- and while Ramírez's results were mixed, the Japanese pitcher's listed much more toward the negative.

"I felt very good coming out of my warm-up in the bullpen and I was looking forward to pitching this game, but all of a sudden, I didn't feel too well," said Matsuzaka in a statement. "I tried my best to take the team as deep into the game as possible to fulfill my responsibility as the starter. I regret that I ended up being a burden on my teammates today. I'll do my best to prepare for my next start."

Matsuzaka, who was seen dry-heaving in the concourse, felt the onset of nausea in the second inning. And an ashen-looking Matsuzaka left on the first bus after the game.

It was, in the end, another one-inning meltdown for Matsuzaka, this time the fourth, though it was contrasted by enough offense to give Matsuzaka (7-2) the win. He allowed five runs on seven hits and three walks, with six strikeouts.

"I think the fourth inning was more the result of not changing speeds as effectively as he had done," pitching coach John Farrell said. "They jumped on some fastballs early in the count."

Though Sox manager Terry Francona manufactured a quip when asked about how difficult it might be for Matsuzaka to endure a rain delay -- "My guess would be when it rains in Japan, it's probably the same as it rains here," he said -- it wasn't a scenario he was looking forward to.

Francona, of course, was hoping for an established start time for his valued import, who spent much of his time in the Japanese Leagues pitching in a dome. But that didn't happen.