Matsuzaka Fires Gem in Much-Hyped Debut

The Red Sox's $103-million man Daisuke Matsuzaka lived up to the hype last night, holding the Kansas City Royals to just one run on six hits in his Major League debut. In front of 200 Japanese media members, Matsuzaka dazzled the Royals hitters with a power fastball and his famed array of off-speed pitches, leading the Sox to a 4-1 victory.

“I will tell you this—I was pretty impressed,” Royals manager Buddy Bell said of the 26-year old. Everyone else was too: In a town that's hard on its teams, the Boston press couldn't get enough. "Dice-K was Ice K. He was also 10 K. And Special K. Maybe even a Japanese Pedro. Or a Pocket Rocket," writes Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy. (More Boston Red Sox stories.)