The Boston Red Sox welcomed pitcher Tanner Houck back to the mound after missing back-to-back starts due to fatigue to continue their division-rival clash against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field.
Houck hadn’t pitched since Sept. 4 versus the New York Mets — being replaced by Richard Fitts in the rotation — yet didn’t miss a beat even though the right-hander was limited to just 60 pitches in Tampa Bay. Houck threw four innings of one-run ball, allowing four base hits and no walks while striking out four Rays hitters. The 28-year-old threw 70% of his 60 pitches for strikes and also pushed his career-high in innings pitched to 173 2/3 innings during Boston’s 2-1 victory over Tampa Bay, providing Houck with a bounce-back step forward before the regular season officially concludes.
“I felt good. Felt strong,” Houck told reporters, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “Just a little bit of rest, a little bit longer than I expected it to be — I think (longer than) what we all wanted it to be. Do it the smart way. Take care of it the first time and then finish the year strong, and tonight’s pitch count. Ultimately, I’m pretty happy with the outing in terms of how I pounded the zone. Went right after the guys, felt strong in terms of the shoulder. So, all in all, take the small victories that you can.”
The only hiccup throughout Houck’s performance came in the form of a two-out RBI single from Tampa Bay’s No. 8 hitter Taylor Walls in the second inning. Houck took home the no-decision, keeping him at 8-10 on the campaign, but did drop his 3.24 ERA down to 3.21 by most importantly giving the Red Sox precisely what the club needed trailing the American League wild-card race by four games with 10 contests left to go.
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“That was huge,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “We knew coming in that Tanner was gonna be around 60 pitches. That’s what we got. We got the double play and then (Cooper Criswell) did a good job and then from there, it was the three big guys.”
Houck could still end the year on a high note, regardless of if Boston clinches a last-minute postseason spot. It’s already been a career-best leap from the five-year veteran and first-time All-Star hurler.
