Things went from dandy to dicey in the blink of an eye for Daisuke Matsuzaka on Saturday night in Baltimore.
The righty, who was making his first start of the season, got lit up for seven runs (six earned) in just 4 2/3 innings of work. After allowing the O’s to grab a 1-0 lead in the first, he cruised for three innings before imploding in the fifth. Matsuzaka had a 4-1 lead entering the fifth frame before the veteran hurler got tagged for six runs on six hits including a pair of home runs.
Matsuzaka’s late start to the 2010 campaign isn’t necessarily shocking news. The oft-injured starter missed the majority of the 2009 season with shoulder issues and was slow out of the gate in spring training with neck and back issues.
After a solid rehab stint in Triple-A Pawtucket to prepare for the summer ahead, Matsuzaka proved on Saturday that he’s simply not game ready. Or was Dice-K’s outing a sign of things to come this season?
Sunday’s NESN.com Question of the Day powered by KGB comes from Owen in Springfield. Is it too early to be concerned about Dice-K? Text ‘SOX1’ for yes or ‘SOX2’ for no to 542542. Results will be revealed later in the show and you can view the latest results and vote at NESN.com/kgb.
As of 8 a.m. on Monday, 28 percent of voters agreed that it is too early to be concerned, while 72 percent are concerned already.
