Daisuke Matsuzaka made his Fenway Park bow on Wednesday but Boston's $103 million Japanese pitcher was upstaged by Seattle's Felix Hernandez, who tossed a one-hitter in the Mariners' 3-0 win over the Red Sox.

The pre-game hype had centred around Matsuzaka's first appearance before the Fenway Park faithful and his matchup with Seattle leadoff man Ichiro Suzuki.

But it was the 21-year-old Venezuelan Hernandez, dubbed "King Felix" by his fans, who stole the show, carrying a no-hitter into the eighth before J.D. Drew led off with a clean single to center on a first-pitch fastball.

Hernandez sat down the last six Red Sox batters to raise his record to 2-0 following a 12-strikeout performance in his season-opening start against the Oakland Athletics.

"There was no room for error the way Hernandez was throwing," Red Sox manager Terry Francona told reporters, calling the Seattle pitcher "borderline unhittable".

"He (Matsuzaka) left a couple of breaking balls up, and he paid for it. He didn't give up too much, on a night when one was too much."

Matsuzaka won his battle with Ichiro, retiring the six-times All Star all four times he faced him, but he could not keep pace with Hernandez.

DISAPPOINTING DEBUT

The Mariners reached Matsuzaka for one run in the second inning, helped by a double by Japanese catcher Kenji Johjima, and two in the fifth on an RBI-double by Adrian Beltre and a run-scoring single by Jose Vidro.

Matsuzaka threw 103 pitches in seven innings, giving up three runs on eight hits, walking one and striking out four.

"After the game the players and the manager told me I did a good job," said Matsuzaka, who struck out 10 in seven innings in beating the Royals last week in Kansas City in his first start.

"But seeing how well the opposing pitcher did, I knew I had to hold them and I was a little disappointed."

The crowd of 36,630 roared in anticipation ahead of the opening duel between Matsuzaka and Ichiro.

Known as "Dice-K" to U.S. fans, Matsuzaka ran up a full count to Suzuki before getting the Seattle outfielder to rap an inside fastball straight back at him.

"It wasn't easy to throw with all the flash bulbs going," he said.

Boston paid $51.1 million to the Seibu Lions for the right to negotiate with Matsuzaka and then signed the 26-year-old to a six-year, $52 million deal.

To mark the occasion of Matsuzaka's first appearance at Fenway Park, the ceremonial first pitch was thrown by Yoichi Suzuki, consul general of Japan in Boston.