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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 16, 2020 3:42:02 GMT -5
Tanner Houck’s impressive MLB debut leads Red Sox over Marlins
By Steve Hewitt | stephen.hewitt@bostonherald.com | Boston Herald PUBLISHED: September 15, 2020 at 9:59 p.m. | UPDATED: September 15, 2020 at 11:00 p.m.
Tanner Houck’s first career strikeout certainly surprised Jesus Aguilar, who swung and missed at a 96 mph fastball on the outside corner. Aguilar looked around in mild bewilderment before nodding in unexpected approval.
To end the fourth, Houck went to old reliable, his slider. With two runners on, he caught Miguel Rojas looking at strike three to win a tough at-bat, and Rojas was so frustrated with himself that he slammed his bat on the ground.
Talk about a strong first impression.
Jackie Bradley Jr.’s RBI double in the sixth helped push the Red Sox to a 2-0 victory over the Marlins on Tuesday night, but Houck was the story of the night. In his major-league debut, the 24-year-old couldn’t have been much better, as he pitched five shutout innings, allowed just two hits and struck out seven as he became the first pitcher since Eduardo Rodriguez in 2015 to win his first career start.
“Definitely right now kind of high on life,” Houck said afterward. “Getting that win was truly amazing. …
“The reality is definitely everything I could have imagined. Especially now, getting to pitch for my cause and my charity is definitely a bonus on top of doing this experience. It was … I can’t even put it into words.”
For at least one night, the Red Sox, who have struggled mightily to find quality and just hope in their pitching staff, could dream about a bright future with their 2017 first-round pick.
When his night was over, Houck could be seen by television cameras smiling and high-fiving teammates Xander Bogaerts and Christian Vazquez in the dugout.
Houck did his thing, showcasing an electric fastball that topped out at 96 mph and a nasty slider that had made him a Top 10 prospect in the Red Sox’ system. With less than two weeks left in the season and after the Red Sox had sent 14 different starting pitchers through their first 48 games of the season, it made you wonder what took so long for him to get a chance.
“The composure,” Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said of what impressed him. “Command was really good. Just got ahead of people with strikes. Really good to see. He looked calm out there. That was fun watching it. …
“He’s got great movement on his fastball, that’s the biggest thing. He’s got a sinker that runs when it’s up some. He has a four-seamer. He’s come up with a cutter. And the slider’s really good. You saw to the right-handers, he threw a lot of great sliders down and away that they had trouble picking up. So, good mix of pitches. And Vazqy did a real nice job with him.”
Houck’s most impressive moment of the night might have come in the fourth, when in a scoreless game and two outs, he put two runners on with a pair of walks. Rojas, a .361 hitter this season, drew a 3-2 count before Houck froze him with the slider to end the threat. In his first high-leverage, high-pressure situation, Houck passed a big test.
“Definitely big,” Houck said. “Punching him out there was a big moment and definitely set me up to be able to go back out there for the fifth.”
Houck will certainly get a chance to build on his debut performance in what should be something of an audition for a spot in the team’s 2021 starting rotation. With 11 games to go, he’ll likely get two more starts, with the next one possibly coming this weekend against the Yankees.
“That’s why we have him pitching right now is to see what he’s like and see if he would fit in next year, or what we think of him,” Roenicke said. “So, it’s good to have him out there, and yes, if we could get him a couple more, that would be great. So, we’ll see what happens, but what a great start for him. When you want to make an impression, he made an impression on all of us.”
For now, at least, Houck will always be able to look back on his major-league debut with fond memories.
“It’s a moment I’ll look back on for the rest of my life and be able to fully embrace it,” Houck said. “As time goes on, I’ll get to appreciate it even more. Definitely it’s more executing pitches. Up here, you’ve got a fine line and I know that and I’ve got to continue to hone in. I definitely didn’t execute all my pitches to the best of my ability. I left some a little bit more middle, I got lucky enough that I got the ball back sometimes. Yeah, I’ll definitely be able to take it all back and embrace it all and grow from this.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 16, 2020 3:48:31 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 9h What 3 smooth innings with 1 walk and 5 strikeouts looks like lol
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 16, 2020 4:01:28 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Marlins 16th September 630pm @ Marlins Park
Kickham 1-0/ 5-0
In his first MLB start since 2013, struck out 8 Rays over 4IP. Has never faced the Marlins before.
Rogers 1-1/ 6.50
Looks to rebound after giving up 9 runs in 3 IP vs Philly. Has 26 K's thru 18 IP.
Southpaws square off for Marlins, Red Sox FLM
It will be a battle of left-handers when the Miami Marlins host the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night.
Miami will start rookie Trevor Rogers (1-1, 6.50 ERA). Boston will turn to journeyman Mike Kickham (1-0, 5.00 ERA).
The Marlins (24-22) are in second place in the National League East, and are seeking their first playoff berth since 2003. The Red Sox (18-31), World Series champions as recently as 2018, are in last place in the American League East.
Rogers, a New Mexico native and the 13th overall selection in 2017, pitched four scoreless innings in his major league debut on August 25, beat New York Mets star Jacob deGrom in his second start and struck out 10 batters in his third appearance.
But his inexperience showed in his fourth, and most recent, start as he allowed nine hits and eight earned runs in three-plus innings against the Philadelphia Phillies.
And Rogers wasn't fooling many of the Phillies. Seven of the hits had an exit velocity greater than 100 mph.
After that game, Marlins pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. discovered that Rogers had been inadvertently tipping his pitches, giving the Phillies an idea of what was coming and where.
"I felt really good those first two innings, and then something slipped," said Rogers, who turns 23 in November. "I was scratching my head. I didn't know what was going on."
Assuming he can fix that tipping issue, Rogers could be tough on the Red Sox, who won the opening game of this series 2-0 on Tuesday night.
Rogers has shown excellent poise to go with his fastball and changeup. His slurve -- a mix between a curve and slider -- has been what has elevated his game this year.
Meanwhile, Kickham, 31, will be making just his fifth career MLB start. The St. Louis native was drafted in the sixth round by the San Francisco Giants in 2010 out of Missouri State and then proceeded to spend most of his career in the minors.
He worked 12 games, including three starts, in 2013, producing a 0-3 record and a 10.16 ERA for the Giants. The next year, also for the Giants, Kickham went 0-0 with a 22.50 ERA in two relief appearances.
Kickham -- who has never faced the Marlins -- had to wait until this year to get his next shot in the majors as the Red Sox have used him in three games, including one start.
He hasn't pitched since Sept. 10, when he got the start at the Tampa Bay Rays and struck out a career-high eight batters. Kickham got a no-decision, but the Red Sox won 4-2 as he allowed three hits, one walk and two runs in four innings.
As for the respective offenses in this matchup, Miami is led by shortstop Miguel Rojas, who is batting .361.
For the Red Sox, two players to watch are left fielder Yairo Munoz and catcher Christian Vazquez.
Munoz, who is hitting .342 in 10 games, made a sensational defensive play in the eighth inning on Tuesday, robbing speedy Jazz Chisholm of what would've been a leadoff extra-base hit in a two-run game. Earlier in the contest, Munoz threw out Corey Dickerson, who was trying to stretch a leadoff single into a double.
Vazquez, who went 1-for-3 with an RBI on Tuesday, is batting .272 with five homers as he tries to regain his stroke through a recent slump.
"I like what he's doing," Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said of Vazquez. "If he stays with what he is doing, his average will climb, and he will hit more homers."
--Field Level Media
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Post by Kimmi on Sept 16, 2020 5:55:43 GMT -5
OverTheMonster @overthemonster · 6h Zero confidence in the bullpen holding onto this lead. But I like the call to take out Houck. Very rare for Red Sox pitchers to actually feel confidence after their first start. Let him feel good and build off that next time out Nice debut by Houck. It was the right call to take him out. He was up there around his pre-game determined pitch count limit. And yes, letting him leave the game feeling really good and confident about himself is important. If he had come out the next inning and had given up 4 runs, that's a whole different mentality to sit on for 4 days.
Who'd have thought that the Sox would come out on the right end of a pitcher's duel?
Good game all around with some nice defense.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 16, 2020 7:03:32 GMT -5
Tanner Houck, Boston Red Sox rookie, showed confidence in MLB debut that club saw before drafting him (but his heart still was pounding) Updated 6:17 AM; Today 6:07 AM
By Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
The Red Sox have been aware of Tanner Houck’s confidence since before they drafted him 24th overall out of Mizzou in 2017.
“I said, ‘No matter what, if you guys select me, I’m going to be the best pick in the draft," Houck recalled to MassLive.com back in 2018. "You’re going to look back in 20 years and say, we got the best guy.’ And I still have that mindset.”
That same confidence was on display during his major league debut Tuesday. He pitched without fear, leading Boston to a 2-0 victory over Miami at Marlins Park.
The righty tossed 5 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and three walks while striking out seven.
He joined Eduardo Rodriguez, Dave Morehead and Larry Pape as the only Red Sox pitchers to strike out seven and not allow a run in an MLB debut. He became the first Red Sox pitcher to win his MLB debut since Rodriguez in 2015.
“Definitely right now I’m kind of high on life,” Houck said. “Getting that win was truly amazing.”
Houck — who likely will make two more starts with 11 games remaining in 2020 — still was somewhat anxious (and understandably so).
“For me, getting to go out there to warm up (in the bullpen) the first time, I definitely had the heart pounding a little bit more than usual,” Houck said. “But it was a surreal moment.”
The righty attacked the strike zone and went right after hitters with his two-seamer, four-seamer and slider, which had excellent movement. He trusted his stuff. He challenged hitters. He wasn’t afraid. That was especially evident when he used his slider to freeze one of Miami’s best hitters, Miguel Rojas, for a strikeout to end the fourth inning with two runners on base.
“But being able to come back, I think it was 3-2, throwing a slider, punching him out there was a big moment,” Houck said. “And it definitely set me up to be able to go back out there for the fifth.”
He showed he has big league stuff. Whether he ends up as a starter, setup man or closer longterm, he should be able to have an impact on this team for many years to come.
Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke was most impressed with Houck’s composure and command.
“Just got ahead of people with strikes. Really good to see. He looked calm out there. That was fun watching him.”
The righty recorded nine swings-and-misses. Five came with his slider, two with his two-seamer and two with his four-seamer, per Statcast. He topped out at 95.5 mph with his four-seam fastball and averaged 93.6 mph. He averaged 92 mph with his two-seam fastball and topped out at 94.7 mph with it (Statcast).
“He’s got great movement on his fastball," Roenicke said. "That’s the biggest thing. He’s got a sinker. It runs when it’s up some. He’s got a four-seamer. He’s come up with a cutter. And the slider is really good. You saw to the right-handers he threw a lot of great sliders down and away they have trouble picking up. So good mix of pitches.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 16, 2020 10:16:34 GMT -5
Marlin feed yesterday prior to the game and into it saying the Fish needed 2 to 3 games this series... pressure on them now.... and may be the only chance the Red Sox get to spoil a team to the end.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 16, 2020 12:31:21 GMT -5
Red Sox Notes @soxnotes · 1h Red Sox pitchers have allowed 0 runs in their last 14.0 IP. In their last 10 games, Sox starters are 3-0 with a 3.38 ERA.
Since Sept. 5, the Sox lead the AL in OPS (.877) and rank 2nd in AVG (.291) and HR (20). Bobby Dalbec and Rafael Devers each have an 8-game hitting streak.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 16, 2020 12:33:07 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 51m Tanner Houck's sliders last night. The Marlins went 0-5 with 4 strikeouts against it. When they swung they whiffed 46% of the time.
Houck threw 51 sliders + sinkers + splitters. 15 of them were in the strike zone. The Marlins went 0-8 5 K against those pitch types. Instead of debuting him against the Rays last weekend they gave him Miami and their top 5 chase rate lineup. Worked out well.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 16, 2020 12:33:38 GMT -5
Red Sox Stats @redsoxstats · 1m Jeffrey Springs gave up 5 ER in his first game of the year, since then he's been pretty good even with a .388 BABIP. He's been among the league leaders in limiting hard contact and getting swing and misses. There is a bloodletting coming, he's making a strong case to stay.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 16, 2020 13:12:22 GMT -5
Game 50: Red Sox at Marlins lineups and notesBy Andrew Mahoney Globe Staff,Updated September 16, 2020, 2 hours ago After taking the series opener, 2-0, the Red Sox will look for another win at Miami Wednesday night when Mike Kickham takes the mound. Lineups RED SOX (18-31): 1. Alex Verdugo (L) CF 2. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 3. Xander Bogaerts (R) SS 4. J.D. Martinez (R) DH 5. Christian Vazquez (R) C 6. Yairo Munoz (R) RF 7. Bobby Dalbec (R) 1B 8. Michael Chavis (R) LF 9. Christian Arroyo (R) 2B Pitching: LHP Mike Kickham (1-0, 5.00 ERA) MARLINS (24-22): 1. Miguel Rojas (R) SS 2. Jesus Aguilar (R) DH 3. Brian Anderson (R) 3B 4. Garrett Cooper (R) 1B 5. Lewis Brinson (R) RF 6. Jorge Alfaro (R) C 7. Sean Rodriguez (R) LF 8. Jazz Chisholm (L) 2B 9. Monte Harrison (R) CF Pitching: LHP Trevor Rogers (1-1, 6.50 ERA) Time: 6:40 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Red Sox vs. Rogers: Has not faced any Boston batters Marlins vs. Kickham: Corey Dickerson 1-2 Stat of the day: Kickham, 31, will be making his fifth career start. Notes: Kickham struck out a career-high eight batters in his last start against the Rays on Sept. 10. ... Yairo Munoz is hitting .342 in 10 games. ... Rogers, the 13th overall selection in 2017, pitched four scoreless innings in his major-league debut Aug. 25, beat New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom in his second start and struck out 10 batters in his third appearance. But in his most recent start, he allowed nine hits and eight earned runs in three-plus innings against the Phillies. Song of the Day: George Thorogood and the Destroyers "Get A Haircut"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOCDoKsXjP0
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 16, 2020 15:06:22 GMT -5
Bill Koch @billkoch25 · 11m Matt Barnes, when asked if he'd like to serve as #RedSox closer in 2021 -- 'Absolutely. Let's do it. I'm all in.'
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 16, 2020 15:18:22 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier 18m Barnes on not being traded: ‘I’m ecstatic to still be here.’ Says he’d love to remain with the Sox for the long haul.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 16, 2020 15:26:09 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 29m Matt Barnes with a highly technical (and accurate) assessment of Tanner Houck's start last night: "I thought he threw the shit out of the ball."
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 16, 2020 15:41:25 GMT -5
Alex Speier @alexspeier · 2m Tanner Houck will start again on Sunday, this time against the Yankees.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Sept 16, 2020 15:44:27 GMT -5
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne · 10m Houck should go Sunday against the Yankees. Perez will go Friday. Saturday is TBD. First time Yankees come to Fenway this year.
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