Daisuke Matsuzaka showed what he came to Puerto Rico's winter league to do Wednesday, throwing seven strong innings in his final outing.
The 36-year-old allowed a run on three hits and two walks, while striking out three for Gigantes de Carolina. His team lost 3-2 to Tiburones de Aguadilla, but Matsuzaka, who didn't allow a runner to reach second base through six innings, did not figure in the decision.
"Today I was able to smoothly pitch the way I wanted to upon coming here," said Matsuzaka, who has thrown in just one NPB game in two years with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
Throwing 88 pitches in his fourth winter league outing, he exploited opposing hitters' eagerness to swing, jamming batters on both sides of the plate with a moving two-seam fastball on the hands.
"To be able to go seven innings with so few pitches is big for me," said Matsuzaka, who is entering the final year of the three-year deal that lured him back to Japan from the major leagues.
"I sure have gained plenty from this," he said of his experience in Puerto Rico.
"It may difficult to retain this feel (for pitching) I have now, but I want to remember it and enter spring camp (on Feb. 1) in good form."
