J.D. Drew connects for a grand-slam home run in the sixth inning of yesterday’s exhibition game at the Tokyo Dome.

The Providence Journal / Bob Breidenbach

TOKYO — The season doesn’t begin until tomorrow, but surely, J.D. Drew wishes it already had.

Drew capped a big weekend here with a grand slam in the sixth inning yesterday, leading the Red Sox to a 7-2 victory over the Yomiuri Giants in exhibition play. The grand slam came a day after Drew had homered Saturday against Hanshin, giving him two homers and seven RBI in the last two days.

“I’ve had a good spring,” said Drew. “I think I’m just going to try to keep a positive attitude, have good at-bats, try to pick up where I left off last year and have a good start to the season.”

“That was a pretty swing,” said manager Terry Francona of Drew’s blast. “I hope it stays that way. He looks like the player (we want him to be).”

His day in the sun

While most of the attention in the last week has been directed at Daisuke Matsuzaka, yesterday Hideki Okajima found himself in the spotlight. Returning to the ballpark where he pitched for a dozen years and facing his former team, Okajima pitched a scoreless seventh inning. His entrance into the game was greeted with a huge ovation and when he threw his first pitch, the cameras flashed.

“That was a great feeling — pitching with the support of the fans,” said Okajima, who joked that he was ready to retire after the reception he got. “I was very happy. It was nice to be back.”

With one out in the seventh and a runner on, Francona was going to take him out after the second out was recorded so that Okajima could receive another ovation from the fans, but Okajima then got a double play to end the inning and spoil the plan.

“That was neat,” said Francona of the fans’ reaction. “We’re very proud of him.”

Wakefield on target

Tim Wakefield was sharp in 5 2/3 innings. allowing two runs — just one earned — on five hits.

“I felt good,” said Wakefield. “Once I got out of the first, I settled down and threw a lot of strikes and did what I needed to do.”

Wakefield said he feels comfortable with new batterymate Kevin Cash, who replaces Doug Mirabelli as the knuckleballer’s personal catcher. “(The switch) hasn’t entered my mind,” Wakefield said. “Obviously, I miss Doug tremendously, but Kevin is doing a great job.”

Wakefield will next pitch next weekend in Los Angeles in an exhibition start against the Dodgers, then make his first regular-season start in Toronto the weekend of April 4-6.

A rare feat

Matsuzaka will become only the second Japanese hurler to pitch a season-opener for his team tomorrow. Hideo Nomo did so three times — once with Detroit in 2000 and twice with the Dodgers in his second stint with the team (2003 and 2004).

Matsuzaka will also be just the second pitcher — excluding American-born pitchers — to start a season in his native country. Canadian-born Ryan Dempster opened the season for the Florida Marlins in Montreal in 2002.

Decisions, decisions

The Sox will talk with players today to check on health, but more and more, it appears as though Mike Timlin will, like Beckett, start the year on the disabled list.

Timlin has some stitches in his right ring finger, the result of a comebacker last week in Fort Myers.

“We’ll let him have a little say in the matter,” said Francona. “But being realistic, I don’t think he can pitch (tomorrow or Wednesday).”

Putting Timlin on the DL will allow the Sox more time in determining how to handle their numerous bullpen candidates. If the Sox attempted to get their many relievers through waivers without options this week, they would run a greater risk of losing them to a claim by another team.

If the team waits until next week, when teams have already established their 25-man rosters, there’s less of a chance that teams will claim them, since they’ll have no available roster spots.

Among the Sox’ relievers out of options: Javier Lopez, Bryan Corey, David Aardsma and Craig Breslow. Although the Red Sox had not announced it, Breslow apparently had already been placed on waivers. The team announced yesterday that he had been claimed by the Cleveland Indians. He did not accompany the team to Japan.

smcadam@projo.com