The Red Sox’ Manny Ramirez slides safely into third as Tiger third baseman Miguel Cabrera fails to come up with an errant throw during the third inning yesterday. Ramirez scored on the play.

The Providence Journal / Bob Breidenbach

BOSTON — The Red Sox have won two World Series in the last four seasons because of solid pitching, an explosive offense and a unique chemistry within the clubhouse. Unveiling their 2007 World Series championship banner from the top of the Green Monster during Opening Day ceremonies yesterday, the Sox showed their most recent reward for that combination.

But the Red Sox may also lead the majors in another category: clichés.

Play them one at a time. Don’t make excuses. Don’t get too high, don’t get too low.

They’re words to cringe by if you’re listening to them, but words to live by for the Sox. So when they take the field on a day — like yesterday — when they’d lost three in a row, the Sox had a mantra to follow.

Backed by a solid pitching performance by Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Red Sox dispatched the still winless Detroit Tigers, 5-0, yesterday. The right-hander earned his second victory of the season, working 6 2/3 scoreless innings and allowing only four hits with seven strikeouts.

What’s more impressive is that this was a game that could have gone either way for the Red Sox. The struggling Tigers are too talented to not just come out and pound an opponent one of these games. Boston, still hampered by its trek around the world, could have easily stumbled due to all the celebrations.

But the Red Sox took it pitch by pitch, inning by inning, which has become the unofficial credo of the World Champions. It’s what manager Terry Francona has preached from Day One.

“This was a huge game for us to come out and win,” said Red Sox first baseman Kevin Youkilis. “It was great day.

“If you keep it simple and play your game day in and day out,” said Youkilis, “you give yourself a better chance over the long haul. You can’t get too up. You can’t get too down. That’s something I’m trying to learn as I get a little more mature in the game of baseball. I’m trying to keep it a little more even keel.”

Francona normally doesn’t like to talk about what another team is thinking. He has enough stuff to worry about with his own club. He knew the Tigers came here winless after their first six games. He also knows you can’t take any team lightly at any point of the season, especially a talented team like Detroit.

“We’re just trying to do what we do and do it better than the past three days in Toronto,” said Francona after the Sox’ victory. “A season has a way of evening things out. When it’s early, everything gets blown out of proportion. I know I say it all the time, but we just tried to show up today and win because that’s what we could handle.”

Tigers manager Jim Leyland isn’t so upbeat these days. After he watched the Sox score a run in the second, third and fourth innings, followed by a two-spot in the sixth, he must have known it was going to be another long day.

“Obviously we’re not playing good,” he said. “We haven’t won a game, so obviously we’re not in the best of moods. But we’ve got to go out and earn it.”

Earning it is something the Red Sox are becoming accustomed to, one game at a time.

“We go out everyday and just play the game,” said Youkilis, who went 3-for-3 with two RBI. “When you look at the schedule you look at the team you’re playing against, the pitcher you’re facing, and best way to go about your game is on a daily basis. The biggest thing is you have to go out there every day and do what you do best, and not focus on the outside things that you can’t control.”

Youkilis was quick to point out after yesterday’s victory that it was his third career Opening Day with the Red Sox and already he has two World Series rings.

“It never gets old,” he said. “Hopefully in the future we get these every year. It’s great to get these rings and it’s great to win a ball game. Now we get to sit back and play baseball.”

jmcdonal@projo.com