ERIC BRADY The Roanoke Times

Boston Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, on a minor-league rehab assignment, got the win for Salem over Winston-Salem on Wednesday.

ERIC BRADY The Roanoke Times

Salem's Jon Hee slides into home during the sixth inning of Wednesday's Carolina League Southern Division playoff game.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Even the baseballs were different.

When Daisuke Matsuzaka joined the Salem Red Sox for the day, he brought Major League baseballs to pitch.

"They're harder, so in a way they have the advantage," reported Salem catcher Tim Federowicz, a veteran of catching big leaguers on rehab assignment. "But then again, we had a big leaguer pitching.

"You still have to hit it."

The Winston-Salem Dash didn't hit Matsuzaka's big league stuff much, and certainly not as often or as hard as the Red Sox hit the Dash's regular ol' Carolina League offerings as Salem scored a 7-2 victory in the opening game of the Southern Division championship series at Wake Forest Baseball Park on Wednesday.

"It was awesome, the playoff atmosphere and we had Daisuke Matsuzaka on the mound," Salem third baseman Jon Hee said. "It was a fun game. ...

"I'll probably remember this the rest of my life."

Salem's win took away Winston-Salem's home-field advantage in the best-of-five series. The Sox now need to win two of the next four games to advance to the Mills Cup Championship. The Dash need three.

In the Northern Division series, Wilmington beat Lynchburg 7-1 in the opening game.

Brad Correll had a two-run homer and a single for Salem and the Red Sox as a team outhit Winston-Salem 10-4.

Hee went 3-for-3 with a walk, a sacrifice bunt and two runs scored.

"Right now its not about numbers, it's about winning," Hee said. "Anything I can do to help the team win, I'll do it."

Matsuzaka gave up one run in 6²₃ innings. The lone run scored on a walk, a stolen base, a grounder and an RBI-single by Brent Morel in the first inning.

He allowed just three hits -- a single and a double by Justin Greene to go with Morel's single -- walked one and hit one. He was not available for comment after the game.

The Sox were ahead before Matsuzaka even took the mound. Hee drew a walk from Dash starter Justin Edwards, then Correll belted a two-out, two-run homer.

After allowing the one run in the first inning, Matsuzaka settled down considerably. He threw 19 pitches in the first inning, and was down to 10 in the fourth and nine in the fifth and sixth.

"He settled in, you know it's his last start before he goes back to Boston," Federowicz said. "He had nerves too."

Federowicz is an old hand at catching big leaguers. He caught John Smoltz twice on rehab assignments earlier this season in Greenville and caught David Aardsma last season for Lowell.

All of them used Major League baseballs and made Federowicz feel comfortable behind the plate.

"I really like it," Federowicz said. "It's easy. They're all around the plate, they know what they're doing. It's more relaxing."

Hee doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Federowicz in the sixth. Zach Borowiak drew a leadoff walk in the seventh to end Edwards' night seven, and eventually came around to score on a single by Hee to give Salem a 4-1 lead by the time Matsuzaka came out of the game with two out and a runner at first in the seventh inning.

Matsuzaka shook hands with all of his one-day teammates, waved to the crowd as it gave him a standing ovation and left the park.

The Red Sox gave up one more run, as reliever Jason Rice struggled with his command, but Salem's offense was busy tacking on runs.

Federowicz doubled and scored on an error in the eighth and Salem scored two more in the ninth on two hits and two more Dash errors to build the five-run lead.

Derrick Loop pitched a perfect ninth, but it was far from a save situation.

"I guarantee we have the best team out there talent-wise," Federowicz said. "If everyone hits and plays like we can, we're gonna be unstoppable."

HOW THE RUNS SCORED

Salem first: One out. Hee walked. Rizzo struck out. Correll homered, Hee scored. Red Sox 2, Dash 0.

Winston-Salem first: One out. Paiml walked. Paiml stole second. Sanchez reached on a throwing error by Hee, Paiml to third. Morel singled and went to second on the throw, Paiml scored. Red Sox 2, Dash 1.

Salem sixth: Hee doubled. Rizzo grounded out. Correll walked. Jones walked, Hee to third, Correll to second. Federowicz flied out, Hee scored. Red Sox 3, Dash 1.

Salem seventh: Borowiak walked. Jones relieved Edwards. Lin singled, Borowiak to third. Hee singled, Borowiak scored. Red Sox 4, Dash 1.

Salem eighth: One out. Federowicz doubled. Mailman struck out. Corley relieved Santiago. Borowiak reached on an error by Paiml, Federowicz scored. Red Sox 5, Dash 1.

Winston-Salem eighth: Mollenhauer walked. Paiml walked. Sanchez grounded out, Mollenhauer to third, Paiml to second. Morel flied out, Mollenhauer scored. Red Sox 5, Dash 2.

Salem ninth: Dent singled. Lin reached on an error by Paiml, Dent to second. Hee sacrifice bunted, Dent to third, Lin to second. Rizzo reached and went to second on an error by Loman, Dent scored, Lin scored. Red Sox 7, Dash 2.

SALEM WINSTON SALEM

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Lin, cf 5 1 1 0 Mollenhauer, 2b 3 1 0 0

Hee, 3b 3 2 3 1 Paiml, ss 2 1 0 0

Rizzo, 1b 5 0 0 1 Sanchez, rf 4 0 0 0

Correll, rf 4 1 2 2 Morel, 3b 3 0 1 2

Jones, dh 4 0 1 0 Loman, 1b 3 0 0 0

Federowicz, c 3 1 1 1 Johnson, dh 3 0 0 0

Mailman, lf 4 0 0 0 Greene, cf 4 0 2 0

Borowiak, 2b 3 1 1 0 Curtis, c 3 0 1 0

Dent, ss 4 1 1 0 Kuhn, lf 4 0 0 0

Totals 35 7 10 5 Totals 29 2 4 2

Salem 200 001 112 -- 7

Winston Salem 100 000 010 -- 2

E--Hee (1), Paiml 2 (2), Loman (1). DP--Winston Salem 2. LOB--Salem 7. Winston Salem 7. 2B--Hee (1), Federowicz (1), Greene (1). HR--Corell (1). S--Hee, Curtis. SF--Federowicz, Morel. SB--Borowiak (1), Greene (1), Paiml (1).

IP H R ER BB SO

Salem

Matsuzaka W, 1-0 6 2-3 3 1 1 1 7

Rice 1 1 1 1 3 1

Fernandes 1-3 0 0 0 1 0

Loop 1 0 0 0 0 0

Winston-Salem

Edwards L, 0-1 6 5 4 4 4 4

Jones 1-3 2 0 0 0 1

Santiago 1 1-3 1 1 0 0 3

Corley 1 1-3 2 2 0 0 0

HBP--Johnson (by Matsuzaka).

Umpires--Dudones plate; Kline 1b, Goebel 2b, Benham 3b.

T--2:51.

A--3,007.