It's not translating to success

October 16, 2007|Jackie MacMullan, Globe Columnist

CLEVELAND - Boston's $100 million baseball investment strode off the mound at Jacobs Field toward the Red Sox dugout shortly before the 9 o'clock hour last night. But Daisuke Matsuzaka did not plop himself down on the bench to join his comrades between innings. Instead, he trudged down the steps and made the sharp turn toward the clubhouse, a lone figure exiting stage left well in advance of what his playoff script called for.

For the second time in as many postseason starts, Matsuzaka failed to get out of the fifth inning. The first time, it didn't much matter. Although he left down, 3-2, in Game 2 of the Division Series against the Angels, his tepid performance was negated by the ninth-inning heroics of Manny Ramírez, whose walkoff home run was an electric snapshot that overshadowed anything else. And when Boston went on to sweep, there was no need to rehash what went awry in that series.

But last night, even Manny couldn't offer Matsuzaka redemption. By the time Japan's national treasure was yanked from the game after just 4 2/3 innings, he had thrown a staggering 101 pitches and given up four runs - and received none in return.

A full hour and a half after Boston had dropped a 4-2 decision to the Indians to fall behind, 2-1, in the American League Championship Series, Matsuzaka sat despondently in front of his locker, still in uniform, staring glumly as he cradled his arms behind his head.

It was another disappointing performance for the highly touted pitcher who earned elite status in his native country for his ability to pitch masterfully in the biggest settings. He was the MVP of the World Baseball Classic, an Olympic hero, a high school legend. That clutch reputation has been lost in translation over here in the States, where Boston continues to wait breathlessly - and with growing trepidation - for Matsuzaka to demonstrate what all the fuss is about.

"I feel for him," said reliever Mike Timlin. "He's taking it to heart. We're talking about a talented pitcher. I've seen the guy in the WBC. He's fantastic. So now he's got our team and his own country to consider, and I think he's putting a little too much pressure on himself. I'd be the same way. The guy wants to win.

"We'll make sure we lift him up tomorrow."

Coming on the heels of the gruesome 13-6 collapse in Game 2, the Sox not only needed their Game 3 starter to pitch well, they needed him to pitch deep into the night to avoid a repeat of the events of the previous outing, when an early exit by Curt Schilling necessitated the use of Manny Delcarmen, Timlin, and Hideki Okajima all before the eighth inning.