"Ten days ago, Daisuke Matsuzaka wondered if he was making his last start in a Red Sox uniform. Now he's the guy who only throws one-hitters.

On a night when the Sox needed Matsuzaka to spare their battered bullpen, he more than delivered in a 5-0 victory against the Los Angeles Angels.

For the second straight start, he allowed only one hit. Against the Toronto Blue Jays on Patriots Day, he went seven shutout innings. Last night, he went eight innings and struck out nine.

The right-hander was asked if the last two outings qualify as the best he has had with the Red Sox.

"You can see the results," Matsuzaka said. "I think so."

The only hit surrendered was an Alberto Callaspo liner off the pitcher's glove in the second inning that nearly decapitated Matsuzaka. Had he been able to make the difficult reflex play, we might be discussing a no-hitter.

"It was close enough that I could see the ball get bigger," Matsuzaka said with a smile.

Regardless, by pairing an outstanding changeup with a 90-92 mph two-seam fastball, Matsuzaka allowed only four baserunners while improving to 2-2 and dropping his ERA to 4.09. Just two starts ago, that ERA stood at 12.87.

He became the third Sox starter since 1919 to throw back-to-back one-hitters of at least seven innings. Pedro Martinez did it in 2002, while Howard Ehmke turned the trick in 1923. The last big leaguer to do it was Vicente Padilla in 2009 for the Texas Rangers."