Matsuzaka silences Rays bats in Game 1

Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona received a masterful outing from the unpredictable Daisuke Matsuzaka and an equally strong effort from an inconsistent bullpen to kick off the American League Championship Series.

Matsuzaka blanked the AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays for seven innings while relief pitchers Hideki Okajima and Justin Masterson pitched out of an eighth-inning jam en route to a 2-0 victory on Friday night.

Matsuzaka took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning and worked out of trouble all game. He walked four, including three in a shaky first frame, but settled down to match a season-high with nine strikeouts and upped his career post-season record to 3-1.

"It's amazing. We always joke how he gets out of these innings," Boston third baseman Kevin Youkilis said. "He'll have bases-loaded, nobody out; or first and third, nobody out, and he gets out of jams. We wish he wouldn't put himself in those jams, but it's amazing how he does it and shows how great of a pitcher he is."

Tampa Bay touched the Japanese right-hander for a pair of hits to open the seventh inning, but Matsuzaka retired Dioneer Navarro (fly out), Gabe Gross (strikeout) and Jason Bartlett (groundout) to end the threat.

"You have to tip your cap to Dice-K and the way he got out of jams," said Rays starter James "Big Game" Shields (0-1). "He was the better man tonight."

Friday's defeat was only the 25th in 84 starts at Tropicana Field this season for the Rays, who must beat Josh Beckett on Saturday (8:07 p.m. ET) to gain a split before heading to Boston for Games 3 and 4 in the best-of-seven series.

"I'm not discouraged in any way," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "We played well, and we just have to hit better tomorrow, that's it."

The Rays, who finished 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, had runners at first and second base against Matsuzaka in the eighth but Okajima was summoned and got Carlos Pena to line out to right field on a 3-0 pitch.

Maddon also gave Evan Longoria the green light on a 3-0 count with two out in the sixth and watched the AL rookie of the year favourite fly out with the bases empty.

Masterson relieved Okajima with one out in the inning and induced Longoria to ground into a double play.

"Listen, it happens," Maddon said. "When you're facing very good pitching at this time of the year, they can stifle you even with nobody out. We can do the same thing to them."

Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon got the final three outs for his first save of this post-season, extending his career playoff scoreless streak to a major league-record 20 2/3 innings over 13 appearances. Joe Niekro held the old mark of 20 scoreless innings.

It was also just the second win in 10 starts this season at Tampa Bay for the defending World Series champion Red Sox, who haven't lost on the road in the post-season since losing at Cleveland in Game 4 of the 2007 ALCS.

Shields and Matsuzaka, an 18-game winner in the regular season, went toe-to-toe for four innings before Boston opened the scoring in the fifth.

After Canadian Jason Bay walked to lead off the inning, left-handed hitting Mark Kotsay doubled to left field on a check-swing double.

The next batter, Jed Lowrie, plated Bay on a sacrifice fly to right. Shields, who lasted seven innings for the 18th time in 34 starts this season, then set down Jason Varitek and Jacoby Ellsbury to limit the damage.

Youkilis doubled in the Red Sox's second run in the eighth, scoring Dustin Pedroia, who singled and stole second base.

After Grant Balfour replaced Howell and hit J.D. Drew with a pitch to load the bases, he fanned Bay and got Kotsay to pop out to Longoria at third.

In the first inning, Matsuzaka walked leadoff man Akinori Iwamura and two of the next four batters to load the bases with two outs.

Opponents were hitless in 14 at-bats against the right-hander with the bases loaded during the regular season, and he got out of another jam by retiring Cliff Floyd.