DETROIT — On the whole, Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Red Sox’ $103-million Japanese import, turned in a very solid, very consistent first half in his first taste of major-league baseball in this country.

Yesterday, though, with the Red Sox needing innings because of a tired bullpen and in need of a win to prevent a sweep by the Detroit Tigers, Dice-K was unable to deliver at sweltering Comerica Park.

Matsuzaka was cuffed around for six runs on 10 hits, including three home runs, in only five innings as the Detroit Tigers held off Boston, 6-5, ending the first half for both teams.

The Red Sox, to their credit, battled fatigue from the 13-inning loss the previous night and the steamy 90-degree heat in trying to climb out of the 6-2 hole that Matsuzaka had put them in.

But with runners at first and third and two outs in the ninth, J.D. Drew’s miserable weekend in the Motor City came to a forgettable end with a foulout to third as the late-inning rallies ultimately came up a run short, despite five errors by the fumble-fingered Tigers.

Matsuzaka’s record fell to 10-6 and his earned-run average rose, but to a still very respectable 3.84 for his first 18 big-league starts.

The Sox, meanwhile, head into the All-Star break boasting a 53-34 record, which positions them 10 games up on New York and Toronto in the American League East.

Most of the Tigers’ damage at Dice-K’s expense came on fastballs, including the homers by Gary Sheffield (solo, first inning), Marcus Thames (solo, third inning) and Carlos Guillen (two-run, third inning).

“We’re pretty good at hitting mistakes,” said Detroit manager Jim Leyland.

Matsuzaka, whose location with his fastball was much better on May 14 in a complete-game 7-1 win over the Tigers in Boston, became well aware of that yesterday.

“Certainly, control was an issue. Both Tek [catcher Jason Varitek] and I felt I was unable to hit the strike zone very well today,” said Matsuzaka through his translator, Masa Hoshino.

“I wasn’t able to throw the fastball for strikes. When a game ends up going like it did today, I tell myself there are going to be days like this,” he said.

That was pretty much Varitek’s opinion, as well.

“The ball just wasn’t coming out of his hand like it has been,” said Varitek. “He battled with what he had for the day. He just didn’t have a whole lot to work with. He didn’t have command of his pitches the way he normally does.”

The Sox and their fans, intimated Varitek, have become a little spoiled by Matsuzaka already. Yesterday’s start marked the first time in seven outings that Matsuzaka had allowed more than two runs. Over those previous six starts Matsuzaka’s earned-run average was a glittering 1.29 (6 earned runs, 42 innings), though he was just 3-2 over that stretch because of poor run support.

“Excellent,” said Varitek when asked to assess Matsuzaka’s first half.

“He has given us quality start after quality start more often than not. Unfortunately today we couldn’t get him the extra runs he needed [to pay him back for those poorly backed efforts] as much as he has helped us in tight games,” said Varitek.

Manager Terry Francona doesn’t go in for much analysis during a season, but he has no complaints with Matsuzaka.

“He’s been a major-league pitcher for a long time,” said Francona, referring to his eight-year career in Japan.

“There are adjustments to be made pitching in a different league and things like that, but we didn’t have to remake him. He came in here pretty polished,” said Francona.

As for Matsuzaka, reflection on his first half is going to have to wait, too. “No thoughts in particular,” said Matsuzaka when asked to assess his first half-season in the big leagues.

He was pressed to expand his answer.

“Maybe I can think about that once the whole season is over,” he said. “What I need to do is go over what I did and that when I did lose, it seemed to be because of a similar pattern. Going into the second half I have to avoid those patterns and help my team win.”

The unfortunate pattern yesterday was fastballs over the heart of the plate to very good hitters, a recipe for disaster no matter who is throwing.

But for Matsuzaka, who has settled in quite nicely after sporadic struggles during his first two months with the Sox, yesterday’s performance seemed more of an aberration than what the team should expect from him in the second half.

skrasner@projo.com