FORT MYERS – Pirates left-hander Phil Dumatrait found it difficult to envision the scene taking place in a small room adjacent to the home clubhouse during Tuesday’s game against the Red Sox at City of Palms Park.
While Dumatrait sat in front of his locker in a nearly deserted locker room after starting a 5-3 Pirates loss, Boston starter Daisuke Matsuzaka and an interpreter held court for about 40 media members, mostly Japanese.
Aware such scrutiny goes hand-in-hand with playing for a winner, Dumatrait can embrace the idea of enlightening a packed room after each start. For now, though, he’s merely focused on showing manager John Russell enough during spring training to make the Opening Day roster.
“It would be nice one day to have all that attention,” said Dumatrait, who gave up four hits and a run and struck out two in three innings in his second spring-training start. “But it’s also kind of nice to sit over here, go about my business and just talk to a few guys.”
Matsuzaka – known throughout Red Sox nation as Dice-K and more popular than ever after a 15-12 rookie season, 201 strikeouts and a victory in the World Series against Colorado – doesn’t have that option.
For a few reporters, the clock was ticking immediately after Red Sox officials announced Matsuzaka would be available in five minutes to answer questions.
“Five minutes,” harrumphed one young woman. “He gets to these about the way he pitches,” she added, referring to the hesitation in the right-hander’s wind-up.
Matsuzaka entered the room in a white, hooded Nike sweatshirt, his right elbow heavily wrapped. The interpreter carried a notebook to meticulously write out each question and answer for dissemination to the international audience.
The first inquiry, from a Japanese journalist, seemed to set a leisurely tone. “What were some of your thoughts on the start today and how did it feel?”
If you gotta know: “In getting ready for the season, I feel I’m making steady progress,” Matsuzaka replied.
Things got a little more interesting when Matsuzaka was asked if the impending birth of his second child (he and wife Tomoyo have a daughter) would keep him from traveling to Japan in two weeks when the Red Sox go to Tokyo to play the Hanshin Tigers, Yomiuri Giants and Oakland A’s.
“It’s one of those things you have to leave to nature,” Matsuzaka said. “So I can’t say one way or another, right now. Of course, I would love to go to Tokyo. I just hope everyone can be happy.”
The 26-year-old Dumatrait – acquired off waivers from Cincinnati in October -- seemed happy with his outing, which included a 27-pitch second in which he managed to avoid major damage, allowing one run on three hits. The inning included a strikeout of Sean Casey on a slider.
“Those guys have a great lineup, and it got my adrenaline going when I got out there stretching. It’s always fun to go up against a lineup like that,” said Dumatrait, who with wife Krista is expecting his second child in July.
“It’s all about executing your pitches. If you can execute and keep the ball down, you’ll be OK,” Dumatrait said. “I got behind in the count on some guys in the second and third and was elevating some balls, but then I made some good pitches to get out of the inning.”
Pirates manager John Russell agreed Dumatrait was erratic -- Mike Lowell just missed a three-run home run in the third on a long foul fly before flying out -- but overall, the skipper was pleased by how he battled against arguably the game's top lineup.
"He made some adjustments, did some nice damage control," Russell said. "He threw some pretty good sliders and yanked a couple, so the consistency of the outing was not as sharp (as last week). But he managed to do some pretty good things against a pretty good lineup."
Streaking, slumping
Pirates first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz is batting .100 (1-for-10) after going 0-for-2. He also made an error. ... Outfielder Kevin Thompson drove in a run with a single and is batting .538 (7-for-13) with two doubles and four RBIs.
More notes
-- Mike Henry, Herald Staff Writer
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