Matsuzaka Helps Boston Punch World Series Ticket

The much-maligned Daisuke Matsuzaka took the mound for the Boston Red Sox tonight at Fenway Park, and while he wasn't as sharp as he would've liked, he set up the Red Sox for their second World Series trip in 4 years, and also became the 11th team in MLB history to come back from a 3-1 series deficit with the Sox defeating the Indians, 11-2.

As the game went on, Matsuzaka was clearly fatiguing, but relied on his fielders and a little luck to get his way through 5 gutsy innings in which he gave up 6 hits, but only gave up 2 runs, walked none, and struck out 3.

The game started well for Dice-K, who seemed to be living up to his reputation as a big-game pitcher, which he garnered with the Seibu Lions. Matsuzaka came out firing, with a high-90's fastball, a sharp curve ball, and a good slider. Matsuzaka allowed only 1 hit through the first 3 innings. Then Travis Hafner and Ryan Garko hit back-to-back doubles to cut Boston's lead to 3-1. After surrendering a couple of hits and a sacrifice fly in the 5th, Matsuzaka snuffed out the threat by striking out Asdrubal Cabrera with a changeup.

Game 1 of the World Series with the Colorado Rockies and another former Lions superstar, Kazuo Matsui, is Wednesday. Matsuzaka is likely to start either Game 3 or Game 4 in the thin air of Colorado's Coors Field.