Lulling the 37,344 at Fenway Park into a near stupor, Matsuzaka was at 76 pitches through four innings, and finished with 115 in six, leaving the remaining work to a bullpen that will get its share of rest over the next four days. The starter allowed 10 runners in those six innings (four hits, five walks, one hit batter). For him? Typical.
"That's the good news, is that he gets out of it," manager Terry Francona said. "There's some frustration at times, which I think he probably has too, because his stuff is so good and he has the ability to get outs. When he locates, he's as good as there is. He created some jams for himself - got walk, hit batsman, walk - but fortunately they didn't string together a couple hits."
Despite a WHIP that was already at a sky-high 1.37, especially for a starter with such otherwise good stats, Matsuzaka raised that a fraction, to 1.38. Clearly it's something to work on before his next start, against Seattle on the upcoming West Coast trip. Of course, Matsuzaka also has given up just one run in his last four starts (0.39 ERA).
"He did a better job in his last outing," Francona said of Matsuzaka's 7 1/3 scoreless innings against the Twins July 7. "When you start stringing starts together, that's a great sign for us, talk about consistency and things like that. The one thing he did do today was he stayed out through the sixth, 'cause it wasn't real easy for him all the time."
It wasn't real easy for anyone. Like the opposing starter, Daniel Cabrera, who wasn't much better. Like Sean Casey, who seems incapable of getting from home plate to second base on anything shy of a home run.
"God, is he slow," Francona said, shaking his head.
The legs-of-steel first baseman hit one off the Green Monster in the fourth inning, lumbering into second base just a tick ahead of the throw from Jay Payton in left field. He was in, barely, and he came around to score the winning run after a sacrifice bunt got him to third and a fielder's choice by Dustin Pedroia got him home.
