Okajima couldn’t even come up with the name of a favorite restaurant, tilting his head and thinking while interpreter Ryo Shinkawa waited for a response.
“I usually eat at home, my wife’s cooking is the best,’’ Okajima finally said. “That is my answer. But I have had some good Italian dinners in Boston.’’
So there’s that, at least.
Not that any of this matters to the Red Sox. Okajima is one of the most reliable setup men in the game, averaging 66 appearances in his three seasons with the club, while giving up only 155 hits over 192 innings. Okajima allowed 16 percent of inherited runners to score last season, the third-best mark in the American League. Opponents hit .138 against him with two outs and runners in scoring position.
“He’s been so good. I would have never been able to tell you his first year here that he would be able to handle the responsibility,’’ manager Terry Francona said. “Now we want him to have the ball, sometimes too much.’’
Okajima rarely breaks 90 miles per hour with his fastball, but spots it to both sides of the plate and isn’t afraid to come inside to set up the next pitch. What helps make him successful is the difficulty hitters have in finding the ball in his delivery. Okajima tilts his head downward and to his right as he releases the pitch, his eyes looking away from the plate.
He also throws a curveball with an exaggerated break, and a changeup.
“His command is flawless with a delivery that you wouldn’t teach people. But somehow that ball goes right where he wants it to,’’ Francona said.
Okajima has made even the best lefthanded hitters in the AL look foolish. Nick Markakis (4 of 18), Johnny Damon (2 for 11), Carl Crawford (1 for 10), and Carlos Pena (1 for 6) are among his more frequent victims.
But righthanded hitters pick up his delivery better. Yankees captain Derek Jeter has hit Okajima well, and Okajima’s new teammate Marco Scutaro collected hits both times he faced Okajima.
