Matsui leads Yanks with record-tying five RBIs

Hideki Matsui is the sixth player to drive in five runs in an ALCS game. AP

NEW YORK (AP) -- Hideki Matsui is often overshadowed by his Yankees teammates.

With more nights like this, he won't be for long.

Matsui tied an AL championship series record by driving in five runs in New York's 10-7 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday, giving the Yankees the early edge in the best-of-seven series.

"It's nice to tie a record like that, but there's nothing like winning," Matsui said through a translator.

He hit an RBI double in the first inning and a three-run double off the right-field wall in the third against Red Sox starter Curt Schilling, and added an RBI single in the sixth to make it 8-0.

Matsui, 3-for-5, had a chance to set the record in the eighth inning with the Yankees leading 8-7 and runners on first and second, but popped up behind second base.

"He gets into a situation where there's men in scoring position and he has knowledge of the pitcher, he just has a feel on what pitch he wants to hit," Yankees manager Joe Torre said.

It was the sixth time a player has driven in five runs in an ALCS game, and the first since Adam Kennedy accomplished the feat for Anaheim in 2002. Paul Blair, Don Baylor, John Valentin and Bret Boone also drove in five runs.

Matsui, a skilled left fielder, was unable to make a difficult leaping catch against the wall in left-center on David Ortiz's drive in the eighth, allowing two runs to score and pulling Boston to 8-7.

"When the ball was hit, the ball actually started coming back to left field, so I actually overran it and, as a result, it hit off the heel of my glove," Matsui said.

Matsui, who hit .412 in the first round against the Twins, is being relied on even more in these playoffs, batting cleanup with an ailing Jason Giambi not on the postseason roster.

"He's really locked in," Yankees first baseman John Olerud said.

Matsui, dubbed Godzilla in Japan, is a huge star back home, with his image everywhere, including the side of JAL jetliners.

A three-time MVP of Japan's Central League, Matsui signed a $21 million, three-year contract before the 2003 season and has played in every game in a Yankees uniform -- he played 1,250 straight games for the Yomiuri Giants, too. Eleven players started in left field from opening day in 1990 until Matsui arrived in New York.

Tailed by a large contingent of Japanese reporters eagerly recording his every move, Matsui hit a grand slam in his first game in pinstripes. He finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting, hitting .287 with 16 homers and 106 RBIs.

This year, he seemed more comfortable against the better major league pitching and found his power stroke -- he hit 50 homers in his last season in Japan. He finished the regular season with 31 homers and drove in 108 runs, emerging as an MVP candidate with his more renowned teammate Gary Sheffield.

"I appreciate the fact that everybody considers me in that way," Matsui said. "Today that all led to today's victory, so I'm just very happy."