This was one of those nights when you have to think long term. Big picture.
Johan Santana and the Mets beat the Red Sox, 5-3. Daisuke Matsuzaka picked up the loss, giving up four runs in five innings.
But still it was a good night for Dice-K. A good night for the Red Sox. Matsuzaka is back and he did not need three hours or 120 pitches to get through five frames.
"We were very encouraged with his outing," said Sox manager Terry Francona. "The ball was coming out of his hand good. 'Encouraging' doesn't give you a win, but long term it looks good."
"I think my pitches were the best of all my recent starts, including my rehab starts," said Matsuzaka, who had not pitched a major league game since April 14 because of a shoulder strain.
As always, he spoke through an interpreter, Masa Hoshino, but I'm wondering if perhaps Dice-K's English is better than we think. Or maybe Hoshino is reading him stuff from the Globe sports pages. Dice-K threw first-pitch strikes to 16 of 22 batters. His 80 pitches in five innings represents the fewest he has thrown in a major league game in which he lasted at least five innings.
It also screamed, "Take that, Bob Ryan!"
Our man Bob yesterday submitted that they should just start the game with the bases loaded or perhaps start the game with a 3-2 count on the leadoff batter.
Instead, Matsuzaka fanned Mets leadoff man Daniel Murphy on a 2-2 pitch, and got out of the first inning 1-2-3 on 12 pitches, nine of which were strikes.
The only damage in those first three frames was a first-pitch homer off the AAA ("Membership for Life") sign in the second by Gary Sheffield, a man who has homered 501 other times. Matsuzaka threw only 35 pitches in the first three innings. He threw only seven pitches in the third.
"Today, [pitching coach] John Farrell told me he didn't think the hitters would be as aggres sive, so I could go with first-pitch strikes," said Matsuzaka. "That was an ideal situation."
Things started to unravel in the fourth - a 30-pitch inning for the Dice Man. Carlos Beltran hit a ground-rule double to right, then scored on a single to center by David Wright after Sheffield walked. Omir Santos scored Sheffield with a two-out single to left. Then came the first 3-2 count of the night, and Ramon Martinez drilled a single to center. This prompted a visit from Farrell and some stirring in the bullpen. Matsuzaka got out of the inning but trailed, 4-1. In fairness, he could have gotten out of the inning with little damage if Julio Lugo had been able to turn a double play on a grounder to second by Jeremy Reed.
"Lugie got flat-footed," said Francona. "There wasn't enough on the throw."