Dice-K Good, Just Not Good Enough As Sox Fall To Nats

Daisuke Matsuzaka's return from Tommy John surgery - one day shy of the one-year anniversary of his procedure - was by many accounts positive. He worked 5 innings allowing 4 runs on 5 hits and just 1 walk while striking out 8. His velocity looked good; he topped out at 93 mph on his fastball. That 1 walk was costly, however, as it led to a 3-run outburst by the Nationals who held on to beat the Red Sox 4-2 at Fenway Park.

Washington got on the board in the top of the 2nd inning on a solo home run by Adam LaRoche, his 10th round-tripper of the season. They added 3 more in the top of the 4th with an RBI double by Michael Morse and a 2-RBI single by Ian Desmond.

Boston scored both its runs in the bottom of the 7th when a pinch-hit single by Jarrod Saltalamacchia drove in Will Middlebrooks and Mike Aviles.

NOTES -The loss was the Red Sox 5th in their last 6 games and dropped them below the .500 mark.

Red Sox hitters had trouble with Nationals starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez. He held them to just 3 hits over 6.1 innings.

The Red Sox bullpen threw 4 perfect innings.