Matsuzaka was in the zone

TORONTO -- Whether he had become Americanized or reindoctrinated into Japanese ways is open to interpretation. What's clear is Daisuke Matsuzaka became a good pitcher again last night.

Pitching is a universal language when all goes well. So whether Dice-K went back to more running between starts, as he had done for many years in Japan, or whether he focused on locating his pitches more in line with an American strike zone, who knows?

So much of his explanation gets lost in translation, but the important thing is Dice-K was again worthy of being a part of the Red Sox' sparkling starting rotation. He is no longer the odd man out. He pitched seven very good innings, allowing five hits and three walks, and striking out eight in the Sox' 9-3 win.

All was well in Dice-K's world in America and in Japan. He defeated Tomo Ohka in just the fourth major league game featuring a pair of Japanese starting pitchers.

"I made a few technical adjustments heading into the game today," Matsuzaka said. "I think it's too early to tell if that made the difference. But I do hope with small and incremental changes, that will lead to gradual improvement over time."

Whether this was a true test is uncertain, given that the Blue Jays are in shambles. But Toronto was a good team to face while he's trying to find his way, particularly after three subpar starts. He was beginning to frighten his fans back home and the Japanese media, who have noted his every pitch, every side session, and basically every movement.

From the get-go, home plate umpire Gerry Davis was giving Matsuzaka the low strike, which made it easy for him to gauge where he needed to locate his pitches. Afterward, Dice-K alluded to the American strike zone and how it changes from umpire to umpire. He said he needed to be more like Curt Schilling, studying each umpire and making notes on the strike zone of each. Over time, he said he hoped to have that knowledge.

Throughout the week, Matsuzaka (4-2, 4.80) worked with pitching coach John Farrell on rhythm, release point from the stretch, and new grips on his split-fingered fastball. He went back to a more vigorous running program and he even threw 109 pitches in a bullpen session. Sounds like a lot, but it was closer to his routine in Japan.

The Sox have tried to put him on their program, which calls for less throwing, but it's hard to teach a pitcher with so much success that he has to throw less between outings. That's how he became the pitcher he is.

He wasn't doing flips over his performance last night. "I am not quite satisfied with my command overall yet," he said, "but I do think there was improvement from my previous starts.

"Up to now when I was struggling, I sat down and talked to Jason Varitek and we talked about my technical struggles, the amount of data that had been provided to me. But today I was able to focus one batter at a time and I was able to pitch with a clear mind. And I think that made the difference today."

He got out of a first-inning jam after putting two runners on base. Much has been made of his problems from the stretch, but Matsuzaka tried to downplay that.

"I wasn't worried about my set position as much as people may have thought," he said. "In that first inning, I didn't feel elated or anything like that."

Nor was he worried about what others think. He knows he can pitch. He proved that in Japan.

"I've always been confident in my stuff," he said. "I will admit that maybe there were some situations where I was overthinking a little, but if it appears I lack confidence on the mound, that might be a problem. At the same time, I'm not about to change my facial expression to try to convey confidence."

One goal was to reduce his walks (he had three). He struck out the side in the second inning. The only blemish was a first-pitch homer by Lyle Overbay with two outs in the sixth on an offspeed pitch that Matsuzaka seemed to hang up in the zone. He was able to throw his split-fingered pitch with a new grip and did well with it.

The mistakes, which had been numerous in his three most recent outings, were few and far between last night. He is a work in progress. He will have his good outings and his bad. He is by no means out of the woods, because he'll face different lineups, he'll see different umpires, and he'll have to make adjustments virtually every time he toes the rubber.

But last night, he had to feel he was part of a first-place team. He must have felt he had finally held up his end of the rotation, one that had drawn rave reviews because of Josh Beckett, Schilling, Tim Wakefield, and Julian Tavarez. One that now truly includes Dice-K.