The Red Sox’ Alex Cora tags out the Rangers’ Marlon Byrd, who was trying to steal second base in the second inning of their game last night at The Ballpark.

AP / LM Otero LM Otero

ARLINGTON, Texas — Daisuke Matsuzaka, still weakened by the stomach bug that cut short his start Friday night, reported to the ballpark yesterday and fully expects to make his next scheduled start, Wednesday against the Cleveland Indians.

“I still haven’t figured out what happened (Friday) night,” said Matsuzaka in a statement read by a translator, “but I feel better today. Above all else, I need to focus on my next start. I also feel I have to be ever-cautious about maintaining my health.”

The Red Sox medical staff checked in on Matsuzaka yesterday morning and he was scheduled to be examined by the Rangers team physician before game time.

Matsuzaka’s willingness to throw five innings even as he was vomiting between innings helped earn him further respect from his team.

“He had no business being out there in that game,” said manager Terry Francona. “But he managed to somehow throw a 95 mph past (Frank) Catalanotto to end the fifth. He shouldn’t have been out there and he was outstanding.”

In a statement after Friday’s 10-6 win in which Matsuzaka earned his sixth straight win, the pitcher lamented that he had been a “burden to his team.”

“Guys try to take responsibility,” Francona said. “That’s probably part of what makes him special.”

Beckett readies for start

Josh Beckett threw a 70-pitch bullpen session yesterday afternoon in anticipation of returning to the rotation Tuesday night against Cleveland. Beckett has missed the last two weeks with an avulsion of his right middle finger.

“I didn’t give up any hits,” joked Beckett of the outing, “so it went good.”

Beckett once again threw with a bandage protecting the finger.

“There’s no reason to take it off and mess it up,” he said. “I long tossed (Friday) without it and won’t have it the day before (the start) when I throw.”

He labeled the mound session yesterday “pretty much the last hurdle.”

Around the bases

Kevin Youkilis extended his hitting streak to 18 games when he stroked a leadoff double down the left-field line to open the fourth. It was his sixth double in the last six games and 12th double during the course of the hitting streak. Youkilis came into last night with a .404 average in the month of May. … David Ortiz had his 20th double of the season Friday night. Last year, he didn’t collect his 20th double until Aug. 11. … Francona went into last night with 311 wins as Red Sox manager, one behind Ralph Houk for eighth place in team history. … Matsuzaka’s six straight wins is the most for a Red Sox rookie since Aaron Sele in 1993. The club record is held by Mike Nagy, who won seven straight decisions in 1969. … Before last night, the Sox had committed just three errors in the previous 10 games. Their .982 fielding percentage was better than only three other American League teams — Kansas City, Texas and Tampa Bay — but the Sox had given up just 11 unearned runs all season, tying them with the Yankees for the lowest figure in the league. … J.D. Drew was hitless in his last 14 at-bats before last night. Over the previous 26 games, he was hitting just .154 (14-for-91) as his average dipped from a season-high .375 to .230. … Jason Varitek smacked a triple Friday night, giving him two in the span of the last four games. Before that, Varitek had needed 229 games to accumulate his last two triples.

smcadam@projo.com