PORTLAND — A dozen Japanese media members followed Daisuke Matsuzaka to Portland for his rehab outing with the Sea Dogs at Hadlock Field on Saturday. The contingent was larger than what follows most players to Portland, but still a shadow of the media entourage that used to chronicle the veteran right hander’s every move for his homeland.

When it comes to discussions about reinforcements for the Boston Red Sox beleaguered pitching staff, journeyman Aaron Cook, now at Pawtucket, gets more pub from the Boston press and talk shows than the man who has won 49 games in five years with the Red Sox.

One might say Daisuke Matsuzaka is yesterday’s news.

If Saturday’s outing before a sellout crowd of 7,368 on a cloudless but blustery 46-degree day is any indication, Matsuzaka’s countrymen and Red Sox fans might want to start counting down the days until he makes his Major League return from Tommy John surgery.

Mixing a low 90s fastball with off-speed pitches that consistently befuddled the Double-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, Matsuzaka made the second rehab start of his comeback an impressive one.

Matsuzaka struck out seven and gave up one run in 4 2/3 innings. He allowed just three hits and two walks. He threw 74 pitches, including 44 strikes, to 17 batters. Only twice did he reach a three-ball count, and he showed unusual faith in his breaking pitches for someone making just his second start in nearly a year.

“I’m not worried about those things at the moment,” Matsuzaka said through interpreter Jeff Cutler following his outing. “I’m not worried about my velocity or my breaking ball pitches at the moment. There are other areas that I need to work on before I worry about those.”

“Normally when guys come in for rehab, you’re not sure how they’re going to be as far as zone command. But his delivery looked good,” Portland manager Kevin Boles said. “He was aggressive against the hitters. This guy doesn’t fear contact and was able to utilize a real good mix. It was very impressive.”

Matsuzaka did not get the win in Portland’s 9-1 triumph over Reading. He was lifted after his 74th pitch and one out away from the minimum to pick up the victory.

While he waited for reliever Chris Martin to reach the mound, the crowd rose to give him a standing ovation. Matsuzaka did not acknowledge it on his way back to a Portland dugout, where high-fives from his temporary teammates awaited him.

Matsuzaka, who underwent reconstructive surgery to replace a ligament in his right elbow last June, opened the game with five consecutive strikes. The fifth, a changeup, had Reading leadoff hitter Tyson Gillies way out in front for his first strikeout.

He went off-speed again to get Darin Ruf to end a 1-2-3 first in 16 pitches. He followed that up with an even more efficient second in which he flashed some leather snagging Miguel Abreu’s line drive back to the mound.

Steve Lerud broke up the perfect start in the third with a line drive that went off the glove of second baseman Heiker Meneses, who dove to his left and landed hard on the grass in shallow right field. He had to leave the game.

Matsuzaka, 31, struck out a pair in the inning on off-speed pitches. His first five K’s were on off-speed pitches, and all seven were swinging.

“He had four plus pitches today,” said Sea Dogs catcher Dan Butler, who went 2 for 4 with two runs scored and an RBI. “He could throw any of them at any time.”

Matsuzaka’s first jam came in the fourth, right after the Sea Dogs got on the board with two runs. Tim Kennelly’s flare single to right and a four-pitch walk to Ruf put the tying runs on with one out, but Stephen Susdorf grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.

The Sea Dogs pulled away with four in the bottom of the inning.

In the fourth, Matsuzaka went to his 92 MPH fastball to sandwich strikeouts around an Abreu triple that center fielder Ronald Bermudez lost in the sun. After he walked Lerud on a close 3-2 pitch, Boles came to get him.

“When the manager came out, I knew what it meant,” Matsuzaka said. “My body felt fine. I felt I could have finished the inning.”

Troy Hanzawa greeted Martin with a single to send Abreu home and charge Matsuzaka with his only run.

Matsuzaka made his first rehab start last Monday at Single-A Salem and gave up three runs and six hits in four innings. It was his first time pitching in a game since May 16, 2011.

“I’m progressing well. I was able to do things that I wasn’t able to do in my previous start,” Matsuzaka said. “There are a lot of areas that I still need to work on. That is going to be the focus for my (next) starts.”

Where the next start comes has not been announced. \

Reynaldo Rodriguez led Portland offensively by going 2 for 5 with a double and 3 RBIs. Martin picked up the win with 4 1/3 innings of six-hit relief.