Daisuke Matsuzaka

Classic problem for pitchers Maybe it's just a coincidence, but nearly two dozen of the big league pitchers who participated in last spring's World Baseball Classic have landed on the disabled list this season, including six of 15 who pitched for the U.S. One of those was the Angels' Scot Shields , who was largely ineffective through 20 appearances (1-3, 6.62 earned-run average) before having season-ending surgery on his left knee. The Angels wondered whether Shields' slow start, if not the injury, was a product of his five relief appearances in the WBC in March.

Boston pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka has not necessary ripped through the major leagues in his 35 career starts, posting a 17-12 overall record and 4.16 earned-run average. But this season, Matsuzaka has gotten off to an impressive start. Heading into tonight's game against the New York Yankees, he's 2-0 with a 1.47 ERA and has recorded 22 strikeouts with nine walks.

* Boston 4, at Seattle 2: Daisuke Matsuzaka gave up two runs and five hits in 7 1/3 innings, J.D. Drew homered and the Red Sox won their second straight over the Mariners after a five-game road losing streak. Matsuzaka (11-1), who is 5-0 with a 2.20 ERA in eight road starts this year, had his scoreless-innings streak ended at 25 on Ichiro Suzuki's RBI double in the bottom of the eighth.

Some cities advertise their cultural attractions to lure foreign tourists. Some advertise their foreigner. In Boston, it's Daisuke Matsuzaka, the pitching phenom from Japan who makes his first appearance at Fenway Park today. The Red Sox souvenir store is selling T-shirts and caps that say "Red Sox" or "Matsuzaka" in Japanese, the Old Town Trolley is hiring Japanese-speaking guides, and the Palm restaurant has translated its menu.

Jake Levin used to be the only Boston Red Sox fan on his baseball team, which isn't so surprising, given that his team is the Tokyo Kitasuna and plays in a youth league about half a planet away from Boston. What really bugged 11-year-old third baseman Levin, the only American playing on one of Japan's best youth clubs, is that most of his teammates were Yankees fans. Hideki Matsui plays in New York.

Reaching Daisuke Matsuzaka can be difficult, even when he is reached. The Boston Red Sox's $103-million investment is heavily guarded, in part by a training regimen that has him making only brief stops at his locker and in part by a team put in place by agent Scott Boras and the club. Reporters from New England say the requests for one-on-one interviews are routinely turned down.

CLEVELAND -- For an hour after Game 3 on Monday night, Daisuke Matsuzaka remained in his Red Sox uniform, sitting at his locker, either staring straight ahead or covering his face with his hand. Yes, you could say the Japanese right-hander took Boston's 4-2 loss to Cleveland hard. "I feel bad for him," reliever Mike Timlin said after the game. "I think he's putting a little too much pressure on himself."

Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched five effective innings to win for the first time this season and Boston Manager Terry Francona earned his 500th victory Tuesday night as the Red Sox defeated the Tigers, 5-1. Francona became the third Boston manager to reach that plateau with the Red Sox, joining Joe Cronin (1,071) and Mike Higgins (560). Matsuzaka (1-3), in his third start since a five-week stint on the disabled list, came into the game with an 8.