Jacoby Ellsbury, center, warms up with his Red Sox teammates before Game One of the ALDS against the Angels last night.

The Providence Journal / Gretchen Ertl

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Instead of worrying about how he’s going to pitch to the Angels tomorrow night in Game Two of the American League Division Series, Daisuke Matsuzaka wants the Angels to be worrying about how he’s going to pitch to them.

“When I faced the Angels in the first round last year,” he said yesterday afternoon, through an interpreter, “I think I was a little bit overcautious about all the little things that they were going to do. So, this year, I just want to pitch the way that I can and not worry too much about who exactly I’m facing. I also owe them one from the summer, so I do want to pitch well.”

Matsuzaka has pitched well this year, his second season in the major leagues after leaving his native Japan to sign with the Red Sox.

The 28-year-old right-hander became the first Japanese pitcher to win as many as 18 games, posting an impressive 18-3 record. Opposing batters hit only .211 against him — the lowest average in the majors. He was even tougher to hit with runners in scoring position, holding batters to a mere .164 average in those situations. He was undefeated on the road, going 9-0, and was 9-3 at Fenway Park.

But not all of Dice-K’s numbers are good.

He led the American League in walks with 94. And, while he made 29 starts, he pitched just 167 2/3 innings — the second-lowest number hurled by an 18-game winner in major-league history. Only Roy Face, a reliever for the Pirates who went 18-1 in 1959, pitched fewer — 93.1.

His control problems led to high pitch counts and, as a result, Matsuzaka went more than six innings in just 11 of his starts.

“From when I was pitching in Japan, I’ve always had a high pitch count,” he said. “I know that puts a lot of strain on our bullpen here. It’s something that I’m aware of as my own problem. It’s something I need to work on.”

He’ll have his work cut for him against the Angels, one of the few teams to beat him this season.

In his only start against them, on July 28 at Fenway, Matsuzaka was tagged for six runs on seven hits, including two homers, while lasting just five innings in a 7-5 Boston loss.

“When you’re playing a team like the Angels,” he said, “there are things that you certainly need to avoid doing. I’m going to be careful to avoid making those mistakes. But those aren’t things that I really want to discuss right here.”

Dice-K started Game Two of the ALDS last year against the Angels in Boston — a game the Sox won, 6-3, on a walk-off three-run homer by Manny Ramirez off closer Francisco “K-Rod” Rodriguez.

Matsuzaka failed to make it out of the fifth inning in that game, leaving with two outs and the Sox trailing, 3-2. He gave up seven hits, walked three and struck out three.

But he is much improved over a year ago, when he finished 15-12, with a 4.40 ERA, because he is much more comfortable, both on the mound and in the clubhouse.

“I think it’s been easier this year for him to concentrate on pitching,” Sox manager Terry Francona said yesterday. “Everything he did last year was a first, and it was with flashbulbs going. In spring training, if somebody made contact, it was big news — ‘What’s wrong with Dice-K?’ The expectation level was very unfair.”

Part of the reason for those high expectations was that Boston paid a high price — $103 million — to sign him from the Seibu Lions of Japan’s Pacific League.

“Now,” said Francona, “whether he goes to the ballpark, whether in Boston or on the road, he doesn’t need somebody to show him where to go. He’s really become part of our team this year.

“I got a kick out of it when we were celebrating (making the playoffs) last week, and he had goggles on. He looked more a part of the team. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. That stuff doesn’t happen overnight and, when you don’t speak the language, it’s not always very easy. It’s a different culture, different league, different travel.”

What isn’t different is that Dice-K wins games, just as he did in Japan.

“He doesn’t ever give in,” Francona said. “At times, he’s created some base runners with some walks, but there have been so few hits. There hasn’t been a lot of solid contact off him.”

As Matsuzaka has become more comfortable in a Boston uniform, opposing hitters have become increasingly uncomfortable at the plate.

“Compared to last year,” said Dice-K, “I definitely feel much more comfortable in the clubhouse. I feel at home. I think this has had a good effect on my game, as well.”

Francona expects him to pitch well in Game Two.

“He looks forward to pitching these games,” the manager said. “That’s why he came here.”

jdonalds@projo.com