It’s no dice for either in matchup

Japanese imports who come to pitch in the big leagues all seem to have an Ichiro they can’t scratch.

Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners was a lusty 14 for 31 against his countrymen before this season, according to baseball-reference.com, which helped make for Godzilla-vs.-Mothra buzz in the days before he faced Daisuke Matsuzaka (Dice-K) of the Boston Red Sox. Even Suzuki was looking forward to it.

“I hope he arouses the fire that’s dormant in the innermost recesses of my soul,” he told Brad Lefton, who covers Suzuki and the Mariners for Japanese media outlets.

The only way Suzuki could have started a fire Wednesday was if he’d rubbed two bats together. He was 0 for 4 against Matsuzaka.

Still, it was a no-Dice-K kind of day. The Mariners won, 3-0, on a one-hitter by Felix Hernandez.

Trivia time

Who is the only other Japanese-born pitcher who has held Suzuki hitless?

Lost in translation

Asked about communicating with his new pitcher, Red Sox Manager Terry Francona said, “I learned to say ‘eeyo’. I think it means ‘good job.’ ”

Hearing Francona’s Japanese amused one reporter from Japan, who said, “You are close,” and then provided the correct pronunciation.

Said Francona, “No wonder he looks at me like I’m a dumb ... “

Fenway follies

The Dice-K-Ichiro matchup naturally brought the media circus to town. Francona has jumped through those rings before. Once upon a time, he was the minor league manager for a team that had this guy named Michael Jordan -- uh, the “error, Jordan” version, not the Air Jordan version.

“We had a game in Zebulon, N.C.,” Francona said in the Boston Globe. “It was a big event, Michael returning to North Carolina. I think Ted Koppel was there. I mean, in those days our team was just happy to be on the radio.”

Jordan, meanwhile, can be happy that none of the games were televised nationally.

Thanks for the Lakers too

Is there anything else from Minnesota that Southern Californians can own?

The Ducks’ victory over the Minnesota Wild in Wednesday’s Stanley Cup playoff game gave Southland teams a 17-5 postseason record against Minnesota teams since the turn of the century.

That includes the Ducks’ sweeping the Wild in the 2003 Western Conference finals, the Angels beating the Twins in the 2002 American League Championship Series, and the Lakers’ two playoff series victories over the Timberwolves.

Nothing between the pipes

The glow that is Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle spread over Minnesota during the post-morning skate news conference Wednesday.

A blog on the St. Paul Pioneer Press website reported, “When one of us unwashed Minnesota rubes asked him who his starting goalie would be -- something he apparently never reveals, doncha know? -- he said, ‘These guys are from Minnesota; they’re thick between the ears.’ ”

But will it drop gloves?

The Detroit Red Wings unveiled a bronze statue of Gordie Howe inside Joe Louis Arena on Tuesday, bringing tears to Howe’s eyes.

Said the 79-year old Howe: “I guess that’s the way of expressing the feeling that I have.”

There are other ways Howe used to express his feelings, but his statue has yet to pick a fight with the bronze likeness of Joe Louis’ fist down the street.

Trivia answer

Shingo Takatsu, who with the Chicago White Sox got Suzuki to fly out in their only confrontation, Sept. 3, 2004.

And finally

Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom, unhappy about being run over when Dustin Penner scored the Ducks’ game-winning goal Wednesday, was asked by WCCO-TV how he’d managed to avoid going after referee Mike Hasenfrantz.

After a few diplomatic replies, Backstrom said, “I don’t want to swear on TV.”

You betcha.

chris.foster@latimes.com