Fuzzy picture on pitcher

Matsuzaka piling up wins, not style points

Bill Parcells was fond of the statement "You are what your record says you are."

So how can anyone explain Daisuke Matsuzaka?

Matsuzaka is 12-2 with a 3.04 ERA after yesterday's 5-2 win over the A's. Yet once again he wasn't able to get to the seventh inning. He's only reached the seventh seven times in his 19 starts. Yesterday was not unlike some of his other sub-seven-inning starts. He pitched perfectly well, held the opposition down, and allowed just four hits.

Is it time to stop complaining about how good Matsuzaka should be and just accept what he is?

Matsuzaka struck out eight A's, who lead the majors with 841 strikeouts. And he also pitched very well when it counted. The A's went hitless in three at-bats with runners in scoring position, lowering his overall opponents average in those situations to .198 (17 for 86). His only mistake was a pitch he got up to Daric Barton in the fifth that the first baseman deposited into the right-field seats for a two-run homer, cutting Boston's lead to 4-2.

"Today my fastball and breaking balls were good," said Matsuzaka through an interpreter. "So I felt I was able to pitch well overall. If possible, I wanted to keep throwing into the seventh inning, but with the rain and everything, even if I were able to stay in the game, that would have been the end to my start and I just wanted to focus on going deep into the game in my next start."

Matsuzaka also had a slider with some bite on it. He wasn't easy to hit yesterday and said when he has a good slider "it makes it much easier for me to pitch."

Matsuzaka had hoped to show more of a variety of pitches yesterday as opposed to his last outing when he lasted only five innings in a 7-5 loss to the Angels July 28.

"I did talk about creating more variety in my pitching after my last start and I did feel that I was able to do that," Matsuzaka said. "At the same time, I think there were some spots today when I think I could have pitched with a little more straightforward approach and I think in terms of that and keeping my pitch count down it's something I'm going to continue to work on."

Matsuzaka thinks he's better conditioned than he was a year ago.

"I feel that I've learned how to deal with my fatigue between starts," he said. "I'm more assertive, getting more rest that I need. It's hard to say how things are going to play out. But, especially with my injury in the first half [mild right rotator cuff strain], I want to be extra cautious about staying healthy for the rest of the season."

He's hip to pain

Mike Lowell expected to receive a shot, cortisone or some other pain reliever, to help his ailing hip after yesterday's game. He struggled to get to second after his fourth-inning shot to the left-center-field gap and is expected to get a day off today in Kansas City, Mo. . . . Julio Lugo (torn left quad) has been doing some light jogging the past couple of days. He'll remain in Boston for treatment during the team's seven-game road trip . . . David Aardsma pitched a 1-2-3 sixth inning with two strikeouts in an inning of relief in Pawtucket's 5-2 loss to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre yesterday. He'll likely eventually replace Chris Smith on the Sox roster . . . The Latin music Manny Ramírez often blared through the clubhouse has been replaced by country music. Toby Keith's "Should've Been a Cowboy" (one of Sean Casey's favorites) was huge in the clubhouse Saturday . . . Ino Guerrero, Ramírez's friend and personal batting practice pitcher remains in the employ of the Red Sox . . . Should No. 24 be off limits? It wasn't after Dwight Evans relinquished it. Will it be now that Ramírez is gone?

The old bat and switch

There was a 37-minute rain delay in the bottom of the sixth. Jason Varitek started the at-bat hitting lefthanded before the rain and finished it hitting righthanded against lefthander Alan Embree. He struck out. "I spent the entire part of the rain delay taking lefthanded swings in the cage. Then I come out and there's Alan Embree," Varitek said . . . Only six Sox first baseman have hit 18 or more homers since 1980. The list: Kevin Youkilis, Mo Vaughn, Nick Esasky, Tony Perez, Dwight Evans, Brian Daubach . . . J.D. Drew got the day off against lefty Dallas Braden. Drew has hit .215 in his last 19 games. He's expected to return tonight vs. righthander Gil Meche . . . Dustin Pedroia has been wearing a Kevin Cash shirt he bought on sale at Twins . . . David Ortiz took advantage of the A's not holding him on in the fifth and stole second. Catcher Rob Bowen dropped the ball and Ortiz, who looks as if he's been favoring a leg, slid into second awkwardly but seemed OK. He received a standing ovation . . . The Sox are awaiting word from Joe Borowski on whether he would accept a minor league deal. Boston had interest in Borowski two years ago, but not as a closer. Borowski, 37, was waived by the Indians this season after going 1-3 with a 7.56 ERA. He saved 45 games for the Tribe in 2007 and 36 for the Marlins in 2006 . . . Jason Bay was 2 for 4 with two runs scored. He's 4 for 11 (.364) with six runs scored in his first three games with the Red Sox. He also caught Mark Ellis trying to stretch a single when he got a nice carom off the railing and threw a strike to second base . . . On Rhode Island Day, Kids Nation contest winner Kayla McCoombs threw out the first ball.

Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardo@globe.com.