Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some final roster moves to end the season. Domingo Tapia and Jeffrey Springs were placed on the Injured List. To take their places the Red Sox activated Andrew Triggs and Austin Brice from the Injured List to take their places with just two games of the season.
As for the game, looks like Tanner Houck (3-0, 0.54 ERA) is the real deal Boston Red Sox fans. The 24 year old rookie added the NL East leading Atlanta Braves to his victims list that includes the New York Yankees. Houck went 6 strong innings while allowing just a home run to Dansby Swanson. Houck struck out 10 batters and pitched himself out of trouble twice. The offense only scored in one inning but made it count. Bobby Dalbec smashed a 2 run home run and Christian Vazquez hit a grand slam all in the second inning. That was all the Sox needed as they cruised to an 8-2 victory at Truist Field.
Tucker Davidson made his Major League debut for the Braves in the top of the first inning and Alex Verdugo struck out swinging to start. Rafael Devers whiffed but Xander Bogaerts walked. Bogaerts swiped second but JD Martinez flied out to right to end the inning. Houck got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Ronald Acuna whiffed to start. Freddie Freeman grounded out to second but Marcell Ozuna singled to right. Travis d'Arnaud struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Sox exploded in the top of the second inning although Christian Vazquez flied out to left to start. Jackie Bradley Jr walked and Bobby Dalbec crushed his 8th homer of the year to give the Sox the lead. Michael Chavis hit a routine grounder to Adeiny Hechavarria who booted it for an error. Christian Arroyo singled to center and Verdugo walked to load the bases. Devers beat out a double play ball by inches to score Chavis and put runners at the corners. Bogaerts singled home Arroyo and Martinez walked to reload the bases. That was it for Davidson as Grant Dayton was brought in to pitch and Vazquez greeted him with a grand slam to ice the game. JBJ flied out to right but the Sox put eight runs on the board to lead 8-0.
Houck responded by striking out the side in the bottom of the second. Ozzie Albies whiffed, Adam Duvall took strike three and Dansby Swanson was frozen for strike three to end the inning.
The Sox offense was done for the night as Dalbec led off the top of the third with a fly out to left to start. Chavis whiffed and Arroyo flied out to center to end the inning. Hechavarria popped up to first to start the bottom of the third before Ender Inciarte grounded back to the mound. Acuna whiffed to end the inning.
Dayton struck out the side in the top of the fourth as Verdugo whiffed to start. Devers struck out swinging and so did Bogaerts to end the inning. Houck got in trouble for the first time in the bottom of the fourth as Freeman and Ozuna both walked to start. Houck responded by getting d'Arnaud to strike out swinging. Albies whiffed but both runners moved over on a wild pitch. Duvall grounded out to short to end the inning.
Martinez flied out to right to start the top of the fifth but Vazquez singled to center. JBJ walked and Jacob Webb came in to pitch. Dalbec hit one up the elevator shaft and Chavis grounded into a force to end the inning. Houck gave up his first earned run of the season when Swanson smashed a home run to Jupiter to start the bottom of the fifth. Hechavarria singled but Houck struck out Inciarte swinging and got Acuna to bang into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-1.
The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the sixth as Arroyo grounded out to third to start. Verdugo grounded back to the mound and Devers grounded out to first to end the inning. Freeman walked to open the bottom of the sixth but Ozuna popped up to Dalbec in foul territory. d'Arnaud whiffed and Albies popped up to third to end the inning. Houck finished up by tossing 6 innings of 1 run ball while striking out 10, he's hope for the future.
Bogaerts lined out to right to start the top of the seventh before Martinez flied out to right. Vazquez doubled to left and JBJ walked to chase Webb. Tyler Matzek came in to strike out Dalbec swinging to end the inning. Austin Brice made his first appearance in three weeks and Duvall grounded out to third to start. Swanson took strike three but Hechavarria walked. Inciarte whiffed to end the inning.
Chavis got a base hit to left to start the top of the eighth but Arroyo took strike three. Verdugo and Devers both whiffed to end the inning. Phillips Valdez came in and got tagged in the bottom of the eighth. Acuna popped up to short but Freeman doubled to center. Ozuna grounded out to third but d'Arnaud hit a line drive off Valdez. Phillips threw the ball away to boot to allow Freeman to score. Albies whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-2.
AJ Minter had only allowed one earned run all year as he came in to pitch the top of the ninth. Bogaerts greeted him with a base hit to left but Martinez whiffed. Vazquez cleaned out Sox manager Ron Roenicke in the dugout with a foul ball into the dugout before striking out swinging. JBJ griounded out to second to end the inning. Thankfully Roenicke was okay.
Andrew Triggs came in to close out the bottom of the ninth as Duvall grounded out to short to start. Swanson singled to center and moved to second on the Hechavarria grounder. Inciarte popped up to Dalbec in foul territory to end the game. Houck had won again as the Sox enjoyed an 8-2 victory.
Hero of the Night is Tanner Houck. The rookie beat a pretty good Braves team by allowing just one home run in 6 innings of work. He struck out 10 batters to earn the win.
The Good:
Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with a walk, stolen base, rbi and a run scored.
Christian Vazquez was 3 for 4 with a grand slam.
Jackie Bradley Jr walked 3 times and scored a run.
Austin Brice tossed a scoreless seventh inning.
Andrew Triggs tossed a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Phillips Valdez allowed a run in the bottom of the eighth inning.
The Ugly:
Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 but walked.
Rafael Devers was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but drive in a run and scored a run.
JD Martinez was 0 for 4 but walked and scored.
Bobby Dalbec was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 2 run home run.
Michael Chavis was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Christian Arroyo was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
The only good thing to come out of 2020 is the Sox may have found a good starting pitcher for the first time since Clay Buchholz. Tanner Houck looks like the real deal the way he mixes up his pitches and most importantly, doesn't crack when there's a problem. He gave up a home run and kept doing what he was doing. He walked two guys and got out of it. That's the kind of thing you want to see, how they handle trouble. "The Chosen One" Allen Webster crumbled with men on base and Buchholz himself toward the end couldn't pitch out of the stretch. As for this game, its a good thing they took advantage of the rookie pitcher because they didn't do anything after the grand slam. The rumor is Jackie Bradley Jr won't be coming back so better enjoy his last game tomorrow. In terms of draft order the Sox will be picking anywhere from 3-5 depending how tomorrow goes. The Sox and Baltimore Orioles are in a tie for last place now and if the Sox win and the O's lose, the Sox avoid last place. The win improved the Sox to 23-36, tied for last place in the AL East. Tomorrow is the final game of the season for the Red Sox. Nick Pivetta (1-0, 9.28 ERA) goes for the Sox up against Bryse Wilson of the Braves. The game begins at 3:10 at Truist Field.
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