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PAWTUCKET - Daisuke Matsuzaka had one mission Tuesday night.

Just pitch.

"I wasn't going to get caught up in the actual content of my performance," the Boston Red Sox right-hander said through interpreter Masa Hoshino after finishing his first rehab start, for the Pawtucket Red Sox.

"I just wanted to focus on the fact that I was pitching."

Matsuzaka wound up allowing just two hits over 22/3 innings as the PawSox beat the visiting Toledo Mud Hens, 4-0, at McCoy Stadium. He walked two and struck out five. He threw 47 pitches, 29 for strikes. He was expected to throw 45 to 50 pitches and-or three innings. It was Matsuzaka's first appearance since April 14, when he left a game against the Oakland A's after giving up five runs in the first inning. Boston placed him on the 15-day disabled list the next day.

He started a 30-day rehab assignment Tuesday and expected to make at least two more starts.

PawSox manager Ron Johnson said Matsuzaka is on target to start again Sunday in Columbus. Johnson said he was awaiting word from Boston Red Sox brass.

However, Johnson was very impressed with Matsuzaka's first outing Tuesday night.

"I thought he looked fine," Johnson said. "He felt good when he came out. I thought his pitches were crisp.

"He got himself in a little bit of trouble, but his stuff got him out of it."

That trouble came in the second and third innings.

After Matsuzaka retired the side on just 10 pitches in the first, the Mud Hens loaded the bases in the second with no outs on a leadoff single by cleanup hitter Brent Clevlen, who then stole second, and consecutive walks to Mike Hessman and Don Kelly.

But Matsuzaka then got Ryan Roberson to fly out to right, struck out Dusty Ryan, and retired number nine hitter Jason Tyner on a comebacker to the mound.

In the third, Matsuzaka struck out the first two batters, Will Rhymes and Brent Dlugach. Wilkin Ramirez then singled to short, and Matsuzaka hit Clevlen, putting runners on first and second. Johnson then came out and replaced Matsuzaka with Charlie Zink, who struck out Hesseman on a called third strike after a passed ball by Dusty Brown moved the runners into scoring position.

Zink (1-3) got the win after pitching four-and-two-thirds innings of scoreless relief. Fernando Cabrera finished the game, earning his third save.

"Pitching like that makes me a very good manager," Johnson said.

At the plate, Pawtucket got one run in the first off Toledo starter Ruddy Lugo (2-2) on Chris Carter's two-out, RBI double to right. That scored Chip Ambres, who walked just before him.

The PawSox struck again in the seventh with three runs. Iggy Suarez led off with a double to left-center and took third on Sean Danielson's sacrifice bunt. Lugo then hit leadoff batter Rocco Baldelli, also on a rehab assignment for Boston. Paul McAnulty then singled home Suarez for a 2-0 PawSox lead. Ambres walked, loading the bases. One out later, Brown hit sharply to Mud Hens shortstop Dlugach, who threw wildly to second. Two runs scored, one unearned.

Mud Hens reliever Matt Rusch came in and promptly struck out Angel Chavez, ending the rally.

Johnson said he was pleased with Baldelli's performance, even though the Woonsocket, R.I. native was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and a hit batsman.

"The whole thing with players like this is they get exposure," Johnson said.

"These at-bats are going to be valuable for him when he steps up to the plate at Fenway.

"We're just glad he's healthy. He looks good. He feels good," Johnson continued.

The shutout was Pawtucket's fourth straight win.

The teams will play again at 6:15 tonight at McCoy. PawSox right-hander Michael Bowden (1-1, 1.35 ERA) will face the Mud Hens' Dontrelle Willis (0-0, 5.40).