With Tim Wakefield on the disabled list and Clay Buchholz struggling in the extreme, the burden falls on Jon Lester and Matsuzaka. Lester did his part Monday night. Last night, it was up to Matsuzaka.
He did what the Red Sox needed him to do, to be sure, though perhaps not in the way they would have wanted. Matsuzaka (15-2) walked five, yet still got the victory as the Sox scorched Daniel Cabrera for six runs on their way to a 7-2 win in front of a sellout crowd of 48,515 at Camden Yards.
"I can't explain it," Varitek said. "Sometimes he loses feel and just misses on pitches. Part of him is still harnessing who he is at all times. I think that when he's able to do that, those [situations] will be less. Sometimes he could be way off, sometimes he could be just missing. It's a combination."
Matsuzaka's high-wire act moved toward the record books. He became the first Sox starter since 1953 to win six games in which he walked at least five. Those are the most in the American League since Texas's Bobby Witt won eight such games in 1987. Matsuzaka has issued 77 walks this season, most in the league.
But as much of a concern as those numbers are, there were far brighter spots on offense. Varitek and Youkilis, to be exact.
Varitek's power made a return appearance, with a lefthanded home run and a righthanded double. His average is just .218, but there seem to be good signs.
"Just trying to continue to solidify and simplify things, because I can make things very complicated," said Varitek, who will get tonight off. "I'm my own worst enemy at times.
"I've had competitive at-bats. I went through that month-and-a-half stretch, or whatever it was, where I had some pretty doggone feeble at-bats. But I do that to myself. I've always done it. Just usually it's not lasted that long."
