Geared up for the playoffs, you get the news that in your first game, you'll be facing a major league pitcher who's won a World Series and reached just about every accolade possible in Japan.
That's exactly the situation that the members of the Dash find themselves in, as Daisuke Matsuzaka is slated to pitch on Wednesday for the Single-A Salem Red Sox, according to a report in the Winston-Salem Journal. In what is expected to be Matsuzaka's final rehab start, the 28-year-old was going to pitch for either Salem or Single-A Greenville of the South Atlantic League.
Of course, facing Matsuzaka at this point of this season may not be the worst thing for the kids from Winston-Salem, as he has struggled throughout the entire year. Matsuzaka has taken two trips to the disabled list — first in April then again in June — after leading Japan to a second consecutive championship in the World Baseball Classic. He is 1-5 with an 8.23 ERA in the majors this season.
In his rehab starts, he's been just as sporadic. He needed 49 pitches to get out of the first inning for Double-A Portland. His next time out, he surrendered two long balls in an otherwise encouraging outing for Triple-A Pawtucket.
That, however, may not translate into Single-A ball, where he has thrown three innings this season, striking out four and allowing just two baserunners.
