Matsuzaka laments one that got away

6th-inning walk opened floodgates

It was the most home runs Daisuke Matsuzaka had given up in nearly three months, and they both came in the same inning, two batters and eight pitches apart. But it was a walk that unraveled his night.

Matsuzaka had a 0-2 count against Chone Figgins, the Angels' first batter in the sixth inning of last night's 7-5 loss.

"I don't think the very beginning was very good, but just as I started feeling a little bit more stable into the start, it all started with that walk and things sort of went sour from there," Matsuzaka said through interpreter Masa Hoshino.

After walking, Figgins stole second base. Matsuzaka faced Casey Kotchman and he threw "a cutter to the outside, but I didn't cut it very well so it was essentially a fastball," Matsuzaka said. Kotchman hit the pitch into the Red Sox bullpen, just over the glove of J.D. Drew for a two-run homer.

After Maicer Izturis doubled and Vladimir Guerrero singled, Torii Hunter sent Matsuzaka's fourth offering - an 82 miles-per-hour changeup - over the Green Monster. Outfielders Manny Ramírez and Jacoby Ellsbury just turned their heads as the ball left Fenway Park almost as fast as Matsuzaka threw it to home plate. Matsuzaka was then replaced by Justin Masterson.

Sox manager Terry Francona said the walk was crucial.

"I've got to believe the inning is different if you don't lose Figgins, especially when you're 0-2 to start the inning because of how they play . . . that didn't help the inning," said Francona.

Matsuzaka (11-2) lost for the second time in 17 starts. His first was June 21 to St. Louis, the last time he allowed a home run. He pitched five innings and to five batters in the sixth, giving up six runs on seven hits while striking out three and walking two.

"I take as much blame," said catcher Jason Varitek. "We made some selection errors in that inning and we also made some mistakes. So it was a combination of both, so it wasn't like he just completely lost it."

Francona said Matsuzaka had pitched well, and once again had shown the ability to escape a jam, as he did in the second inning when for the 12th time he didn't allow a hit with the bases loaded.

"I thought he was throwing the ball pretty well. That happened in a hurry and then he leaves the last pitch up to Hunter and that [was] kind of the exclamation point on the inning because if he makes a pitch there - like he did earlier with the bases loaded in a similar situation - he has shown the ability to escape," Francona said.

In the second, Matsuzaka did allow a run when Juan Rivera's sacrifice fly scored Guerrero from third. Matsuzaka said he tried to pitch "too easy" in the sixth inning.

"I think when I'm facing a good team like the Angels I need to mix up my pitches a little bit more and add some more variation.

"I don't want to get into too much detail, but with a team like theirs that plays a pesky game of baseball, going in with so many strikes probably made it easier for them to set up their approach against me."