Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka made a dazzling major-league debut for the Boston Red Sox on Thursday, setting a franchise record for strikeouts by a rookie.

Matsuzaka struck out 10 batters over seven innings as the visiting Red Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 4-1 in the finale of a three-game series before a crowd of 23,170 at Kauffman Stadium.

Daisuke Matsuzaka delivers a pitch in Thursday's 4-1 Red Sox victory.
(Charlie Riedel/Associated Press)

The 26-year-old right-hander threw 74 of 108 pitches for strikes, and struck out the side on 14 pitches in the fourth inning.

"It is a day I have been waiting for for a very long time," Matsuzaka told reporters through an interpreter.

"For me, it didn't quite feel like the very first time. I was able to approach the game as usual."

"He was sharp with all his pitches," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "And he had to be.

"On a day when it was hard to score, the way the conditions were, he made it stand up. He was terrific."

Matsuzaka (1-0) signed a six-year, $52-million US contract last Dec. 14 with Boston, which paid $51.1 million US just for the right to negotiate with him. 

Before joining the Red Sox, he spent eight seasons with the Seibu Lions of the Japanese Pacific League and was named the most
valuable player of the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006.

"He is pretty much as advertised," Royals manager Buddy Bell said. "He was really good.

"He just really had a feel for what he was doing. For his first outing, to throw like that, was pretty impressive."

Tough repertoire

"A lot of guys have a good fastball or have good off-speed stuff, but he seems to have both," noted Royals first baseman Ryan Shealy, who went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

"He is a tough guy. There's a lot of tough guys in the big leagues, but he's good."

Manny Ramirez and Coco Crisp drove in a run apiece in support of Matsuzaka, who yielded one run on six hits and a walk.

Ramirez, Mike Lowell, Julio Lugo and Dustin Pedroia smacked two hits apiece for the Red Sox.

Closer Jonathan Papelbon hurled the ninth inning, retiring two of the final three batters on strikeouts for his first save of the season. 

David DeJesus homered in a losing cause for the Royals.

Kansas City starter Zack Greinke lasted seven innings, allowing two runs on eight hits.

Greinke (0-1) struck out seven and walked one.

Over 300 journalists, including 135 from Japan, chronicled Matsuzaka's debut.

With files from the Associated Press