BEIJING, April 6 (Xinhuanet) -- Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka made Red Sox fans and millions of early rising viewers in his home country happy Thursday when he struck out 10 Kansas City Royal batters on the way to a 4-1 win in his major league debut.

    "I can't say that my overall condition was that great today, but I think the role of a starting pitcher is to set up the game and give my teammates the opportunity to win," he said through an interpreter. "I feel like I was able to do that today, so I was satisfied."

    On a cold, blustery afternoon, Matsuzaka (1-0) allowed six hits, including a sixth-inning homer by David DeJesus, and walked one.

    "Any time you have that good of a fastball and the offspeed to go with it, it's tough," said Royal Ryan Shealy, who struck out three times. "He mixes up speed on his pitches and moves it in and out. You can't really get comfortable with him."

    Matsuzaka's fastaball clocked at 95 mph and his famed array of fastballs, changeups and breaking pitches at times was dazzling. Flashing a reddish-orange glove during his slow-motion windup, he retired 10 batters in a row during one stretch starting with the final out of the first inning. He struck out the side in the fourth on 14 pitches.

    "Up to now, given all the expectations that have surrounded me, I've felt happy about those expectations," he said. "But at the same time feeling like perhaps they were a little bit extreme. But speaking for myself and for all the fans that have supported me here, it's great that I was able to come out here and record a victory in my first start."

    Kansas City manager Buddy Bell strained to think of a pitcher to compare him with.

    "I will tell you this -- I was pretty impressed," Bell said. "He just really had a feel for what he was doing. Everything he did was absolutely solid. Everything that he tried to do."

    Matsuzaka left the Seibu Lions to sign a 52 million U.S. dollar, six-year contract with the Red Sox, who bid 51,111,111 dollars for his rights.

    "Major league hitters, after you go through the order once or twice, get a bead on you, and he didn't let them," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "He started throwing different pitches on different counts. He came back in the sixth and seventh and was good as he was early.¡±

    Matsuzaka, who wasn't satisfied with his spring-training performances, threw 74 of 108 pitches for strikes. The 26-year-old right-hander, 108-60 with a 2.95 ERA and 1,355 strikeouts for Seibu, did not have to face two of Kansas City's top hitters: Mike Sweeney and Mark Grudzielanek were given the day off following a night game.

    (Agencies)