The Boston Red Sox needed a big start out of Tanner Houck on Wednesday night. The right-hander answered the call with the best performance of his career.
Houck tossed a complete game shutout -- the first of his five-year MLB career -- in just 94 pitches vs. the Cleveland Guardians. He's the first Red Sox starter to pitch a complete game shutout since Michael Wacha accomplished the feat vs. the Los Angeles Angels in June 2022.
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Houck allowed only three hits while tallying nine strikeouts with zero walks in Boston's 2-0 victory. Thanks to his efficient outing, the game took only one hour and 49 minutes to play. It was the shortest nine-inning MLB game since 2010.
"He was under control til the end," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Houck after the win. ... "There was never a thought of going to the bullpen. ... That was his game."
Houck's dominant performance came when the Red Sox needed it most. Coming off two consecutive defeats, Boston's already-shorthanded starting rotation lost another arm with Garrett Whitlock landing on the injured list with a strained oblique. Now, the bullpen will be well-rested when Brennan Bernardino takes the mound as the opener on Thursday night.
The Red Sox improved to 10-9 on the season. They'll have a chance to split their series against Cleveland before hitting the road for a three-game set in Pittsburgh.
