Okajima is much more than OK -- again

The questions from the Nippon TV crew, asked of a somewhat startled reporter, started with the ridiculous and deteriorated from there.

Has Daisuke Matsuzaka been a disappointment? Should he be sent to the minors?

Until the last one: Has Hideki Okajima been a more valuable acquisition for the Red Sox?

Wait a second. That last one. While it's unlikely that Okajima -- despite his contract of $2.5 million for two years, as compared with the $103 million shelled out for Matsuzaka between six-year contract and posting fee -- will be more important than Matsuzaka over their careers in the United States, an argument certainly could be made that Okajima has trumped his more-heralded compatriot thus far this season.

"The way he's pitched," manager Terry Francona said, "the biggest decision is not overusing him."

After confirmed night owl Okajima arrived at 10:50 a.m., just 15 minutes before pitchers were scheduled to be on the field for the rare Saturday 1 p.m. game, he added to his growing legend by throwing 1 2/3 scoreless innings, extending his scoreless streak to 17 2/3 innings over his last 17 outings, since that ill-fated first pitch to John Buck went for a homer.

That prompted Curt Schilling, after he stumbled a bit in allowing four runs in the 13-4 win over the Orioles, to say, "Oki was once again himself."

Okajima's response, to the words, and to the expectations?

An embarrassed laugh, and this, through translator Jeff Yamaguchi: "I just want to do my job. But people [complimenting] him is very, very good. He just wants to do his job."

Even his teammates have begun to get used to this brilliance when Okajima emerges from the bullpen -- Jonathan Papelbon-like -- to end a rally or preserve a one-run lead, as he did in the seventh inning yesterday, taking over after Brendan Donnelly had allowed a single and hit a batter to put runners on first and second with one out. Okajima struck out Aubrey Huff swinging.

"Nothing special, but [I] couldn't give up any runs in that situation, so [I] tried to strike him out or ground him out," Okajima said.

He got Melvin Mora to ground to third to end the inning.

In the eighth, he gave up singles to Kevin Millar and Jay Payton but got a double play from Corey Patterson and a ground out by Brian Roberts. Of course, by that time the lead was four runs, courtesy of a three-run bottom of the seventh.

"We try real hard -- real hard -- not to overuse people, try to get them in the right situations and keep them, as we say all the time, healthy and productive, because we mean it," Francona said. "Some days if that means staying with somebody a little longer or staying away from somebody, you do that.

"But I guess we all feel like we give them a fighting chance, a fair chance. We have some guys out there that can do the job."

And Okajima has been at the forefront of that group. When he entered yesterday, the Sox' one-run lead was looking tenuous. Until the bullpen door opened and the man who was, at that time, second in the league in ERA among qualifying relievers with a 0.53 mark, took the mound.

He left with a 0.48 ERA that would make even Papelbon jealous.

More important, of course, than his ERA is Francona's confidence, which enables the manager to use him at any point in the game, with nearly any matchup, with the game as tight as it can get.

It's fine to pitch brilliantly in garbage time, but it's quite another matter to pitch as he has against division foes with games riding on his every funky, head-turning, yet usually accurate pitch (20 of his 23 pitches yesterday were strikes).

According to a Japanese journalist sitting in on Okajima's news conference, though not the translation, Okajima said, "It's [my] job to pitch under pressure. [I'd] rather pitch in a close situation than with nobody on because [I'd] be much more motivated."

Pressure situations. Perfect for the reliever who has been nearly perfect, leading to the first name out of Francona's mouth when listing some of the players who impacted the game.

Okajima. Of course.

Amalie Benjamin can be reached at abenjamin@globe.com.