NEW YORK — The suggestion, once it was translated for him, made Hideki Okajima laugh in modesty.

There was talk in the New York Yankees clubhouse after they were beaten, 7-4, at Yankee Stadium yesterday, that Okajima, the “other” pitcher Boston signed from the Japanese League in the offseason, was the Red Sox’ most valuable player one month into the season.

“It’s still the very beginning of the season,” said Okajima with a chuckle. “If I heard that at the end of the season, I’d be happy. But I will stay humble and continue to work hard.”

That approach has worked wonders for the left-handed reliever who once again shut down the vaunted Yankee lineup.

The unflappable Okajima carved through the heart of New York’s mine-field of a batting order with ease in a sparkling one-hit, four-strikeout stint. He provided a sturdy bridge from winning pitcher Julian Tavarez to fellow relievers Mike Timlin and Jonathan Papelbon (eighth save) as the Red Sox captured the rubber game of the series.

The win enabled Boston to end its first month of the season with a 16-8 record and a four-game lead in the American League East Division, the Sox’ largest lead since divisional play began.

All Okajima got out of it was an “H,” for a hold, one of the game’s new statistics.

But Okajima, who turned 31 on Christmas day, has been earning respect day by day as this young season has unfolded. At this point, Okajima, whose signing was hailed as the Sox’ attempt to make $103-million Japanese import Daisuke Matsuzaka comfortable in the clubhouse during his cultural adjustment, has earned the full confidence of his manager and teammates.

Okajima’s scoreless outing yesterday lowered his earned-run average to 0.71 in 12 games totaling 12 2/3 innings.

Maybe even more importantly, Okajima has been silencing the Yankees. He has pitched in five of the six games against New York, and has yet to allow a run in five innings, permitting only three hits and racking up seven strikeouts. Oh, by the way, the Sox are 5-0 in those games against New York.

And he has been doing it in all sorts of different roles. He pitched the ninth inning for a save 10 days ago, when the Sox raked Mariano Rivera and claimed a come-from-behind win, starting Boston on its way to a three-game sweep at Fenway Park. He also has been called on in the sixth, seventh and eighth.

“It doesn’t make it more special (doing well) against the Yankees,” said Okajima. “To me, facing every team is just the same.”

That may not be the fans’ take on all of this, but since allowing a home run on his first pitch in the big leagues — to Kansas City’s John Buck on Opening Day — Okajima has been nearly perfect no matter who he has been pitching against.

It has been Okajima’s command of three pitches — fastball, over-the-top curveball and changeup, which he grips like a splitter — that has been so impressive, Francona has been able to use him not as a lefty-lefty specialist, but to get out right-handers, too. That has enabled Francona to limit any possible parade of relievers to get to Papelbon.

“When we were in spring training, (general manager) Theo (Epstein) said to me, ‘About two weeks into the season, you’re going to want to be giving the guy the ball.’ He was right,” said Francona.

Yesterday, the call to Okajima came in the sixth, after an error by shortstop Julio Lugo put the leadoff batter on first with Boston holding a 4-3 lead.

Okajima made the stuggling Bobby Abreu look sick for a strikeout, and then surrendered a single to Alex Rodriguez on a sizzling liner past Lugo. Derek Jeter stopped at second, so the Yanks had the tying runs on base, the potential go-ahead run in the batter’s box and the crowd of 54,856 getting loud.

Up stepped Jason Giambi. Okajima fanned him on a changeup, ending an eight-pitch battle. Former Yomiuri Giants teammate Hideki Matsui was next. He hit a grounder that Okajima snared for the final out of the inning. The seventh inning was easier. He threw nine pitches, whiffed two and induced a groundout to first.

For the record, left-handers are batting .111 (2-for-18) against him, and right-handers are batting .120 (3-for-25) against him. By the time he was replaced, the Sox’ lead had grown to 7-3, and the Yanks effectively were done.

“He has been terrific. That’s stating the obvious,” said Francona. “This is not a situation where (he’s succeeding) because guys have never seen him before. He’s a good pitcher. And it’s not as if he’s a rookie. He’s new here, but he’s a veteran pitcher. He pitched (for 12 seasons) in Japan. He’s got three good pitches.”

The word out of New York is that the Yankees had interest in him. But they thought he was basically washed up, so they passed on the posting process to get him.

So the Red Sox were able to get him. And while Dice-K has been a solid enough starter, it is Okajima who has been Boston’s bigger Japanese star, especially against the rival Yankees.

skrasner@projo.com