BOSTON - When Henry Owens walked off the mound in the eighth inning of Sunday's Red Sox home season finale, he did so to a standing ovation.
That's what happens when you spin 7 2/3 innings of three-hit ball, as the Red Sox shut out the Orioles for the third straight game, 2-0.
Owens only looked like a rookie after the game, when the team made its rookies and newcomers dress up in costumes as is custom for the last road trip of the season.
But during the game, Owens looked like a seasoned veteran despite the fact this was just his 10th career start. The three hits he allowed? All singles, one of which didn't leave the infield. Owens only walked one batter, too, striking out five along the way.
"I knew they were anxious to hit so I just wanted to get ahead of guys and get some quick outs," Owens said.
Owens made 110 pitches on the day, 70 for strikes. He got 14 swinging strikes. In the sixth inning, the Orioles put runners on the corners with two outs, but Owens got Steve Pearce to ground out to end the inning - and the O's never threatened again.
"Another solid outing, 7 2/3 [innings] he just had one little hiccup, it was a 29-pitch sixth inning," Torey Lovullo said. "But outside of that it was an outstanding effort. He held a very good team in check and preserved the lead. Command of his fastball was very good. The secondary stuff even better."
In his last four starts, Owens is 2−1 with a 1.61 ERA and .192 opponent average. It's the in-game adjustments that are allowing him to go deeper into games, as he's lasted at least seven innings in each of his last three starts.
"A lot more comfortable than I was at the start of the season," Owens said. "Even last year I got in a groove where I was comfortable within an at-bat. This year early on I was struggling with my mechanics but I harnessed it and just kind of take it outing to outing and improve as much as I can."
Red Sox pitchers have now recorded 29 consecutive scoreless innings, and starting pitchers have not allowed a run in their last 20 2/3 innings. It appears as though good pitching is contagious these days.
"Yeah, we're all competitive," Owens said, "we're all good teammates so it's kind of fuel to the fire, just fire you up a little bit and go out and perform like they did."
With outings like Sunday's, the young lefty is proving that he's ready for a permanent role in the rotation come 2016.
