updated 9:37 a.m. ET April 12, 2007

BOSTON - Fans were treated to a great pitching performance in Daisuke Matsuzaka’s Fenway Park debut — only it was by Felix Hernandez.

Seattle’s pitching phenom didn’t allow a hit until J.D. Drew singled on his first pitch of the eighth inning, and the Mariners beat the Boston Red Sox 3-0 Wednesday night in the heralded first major league matchup between Dice-K and Ichiro Suzuki.

“That’s fine for me when the guys all talk about him,” Hernandez said of Matsuzaka. “I just go out and do my best.”

The burly Hernandez (2-0), three days past his 21st birthday, pitched a one-hitter for his third complete game in 45 starts. Hernandez struck out six and walked two, retiring his first eight batters until walking Dustin Pedroia. He hasn’t allowed a run in 17 innings this season.

And he wasn’t distracted by the hype about the pitcher the Red Sox invested $103 million in and who had started his major league career with a strong victory in Kansas City.

Before a crowd of 36,630, Matsuzaka (1-1) allowed three runs and eight hits in seven innings, striking out four and walking one.

“With all the hype going into this game with Matsuzaka and Ichiro,” Seattle manager Mike Hargrove said. “I kept in the back of my mind that people better not overlook our guy.”

Elise Amendola / AP Before a crowd of 36,630, Diasuke Matsuzaka (1-1) allowed three runs and eight hits in seven innings, striking out four and walking one.

The pregame hoopla focused on Matsuzaka’s first matchup in the major leagues against Suzuki, another Japanese star.

In Japan, Suzuki was 8-for-34 (.235) against Matsuzaka, including strikeouts in his first three at-bats. That was in 1999 and 2000, Suzuki’s last two years in Japan and Matsuzaka’s first two as a pro.

The next season with the Mariners, Suzuki led the majors in batting average and stolen bases and won the AL Rookie of the Year and MVP awards.

“He’s a hitter that I’ve wanted to face since my days in Japan,” Matsuzaka said, “so, compared to the other batters, I may have been a little more conscious of his at-bats.”

Matsuzaka’s path to the majors covered eight seasons with the Seibu Lions before he agreed to a $52 million, six-year contract with the Red Sox last December. The team had to pay Seibu $51.11 million for his rights.

Before the first pitch of the game, Matsuzaka squatted several times behind the mound. Then, with cameras flashing and fans cheering, Suzuki stepped in.

“That was a moment that probably only Daisuke and I could have created,” Suzuki said through a translator. “To be in that moment, I’m happy.”

He took the first pitch for a strike.

“It wasn’t easy to throw with the flashbulbs going off,” Matsuzaka said, “but I’m glad I got a strike.”

Suzuki fouled the next pitch behind home plate, but Matsuzaka threw balls on the next three pitches, drawing boos. Suzuki then hit a hard grounder that Matsuzaka gloved easily and threw to first baseman Kevin Youkilis.

MORE FROM BASEBALL

Baseball Section Front

Pujols a lock for NL MVP, no question CTB: Mauer had truly historic season CTB: Twins hope to re-sign Mauer by Christmas   CTB: Angels back in the Halladay chase CTB: White Sox GM shouldn’t call out Jenks in public CTB: Should Tigers shop Cabrera? CTB: Mets keeping an eye on Sheets DeMarco: Red Sox should take measured approach   CTB: Cashman says Yanks will talk to his players first No horror film: Yankees like this Series movie Baseball Section Front   Add Baseball headlines to your news reader: