The Boston Red Sox might not have a true ace but so far this season Tanner Houck (8-6, 2.54 ERA) has pitched like one. He lowered his ERA to 2.54 by tossing 6 shutout innings holding the Oakland A's to just 2 hits. Meanwhile the Sox offense got to Luis Medina to 5 runs in the first five innings of the game. Mastaka Yoshida and Wilyer Abreu gave the Sox a 3-0 lead right off the bat in the bottom of the first. Connor Wong and Abreu both hit home runs with Yoshida hitting a 2 run shot in the sixth inning. Chase Anderson tossed 3 shutout innings in relief and the Sox beat the A's 7-0 at Fenway Park.
Houck got the ball in the top of the first inning as JJ Bleday walked to start. Miguel Andujar forced him at second and Brent Rooker forced Andujar at second. Rooker swiped second and Lawrence Butler flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox blitzed Medina in the bottom of the first as Jarren Duran walked to start. David Hamilton doubled to right but Tyler O'Neill struck out swinging. Rafael Devers took strike three but Connor Wong walked to load the bases. Masataka Yoshida got a base hit to right to score both Duran and Hamilton and Wilyer Abreu doubled to right to score Wong. Dominic Smith grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.
Zack Gelof struck out swinging to start the top of the second and Seth Brown grounded out to first. Kyle McCann struck out swinging to end the inning. Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second and Duran struck out swinging. Hamilton got a base hit in the hole at first but got picked off to end the inning.
Brett Harris grounded back to the mound to start the top of the third but Max Schuemann walked. Bleday took strike three and Andujar flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the third as O'Neill took strike three to begin. Devers grounded out to first but Wong belted his 8th home run of the year to increase the lead. Yoshida lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.
Rooker took strike three to start the top of the fourth and Butler did the same. Gelof grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Abreu hit his 8th home run of the year to start. Smith grounded out to first, Rafaela grounded out to second and Duran grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.
Brown grounded out to first to start the top of the fifth but McCann got a base hit to left. Harris grounded into a double play to end the inning. Hamilton struck out swinging to open the bottom of the fifth and O'Neill did the same. Devers took strike three to end the inning.
Houck returned for one final inning in the top of the sixth as Schuemann singled to left to start. Bleday flied out to right and Andujar struck out swinging, but Rooker walked. A wild pitch moved the runners over but Butler grounded out to short to end the inning. Houck had tossed 6 shutout innings allowing just 2 hits and 3 walks.
Great start by Houck
The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the sixth as Wong got a base hit to left to start. Kyle Muller came in to pitch to Yoshida and Masataka belted his fourth home run of the season to increase the lead. Abreu got a base hit to right but Smith struck out swinging. Rafaela grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-0.
Home run Yoshida
Sox win
Masataka Hero
Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Chase Anderson came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Gelof flied out to center to start. Brown was hit with a pitch but McCann took strike three. Harris got a base hit to left but Schuemann took strike three to end the inning. Duran struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh and Hamilton did the same. O'Neill took strike three to end the inning.
Bleday flied out to right to start the top of the eighth and Andujar struck out swinging. Rooker popped up to short to end the inning. Michel Otanez came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Romy Gonzalez pinch hit for Devers. Gonzalez struck out swinging and Wong watched strike three go by. Yoshida got a base hit to right and Abreu lined out to center to end the inning.
Anderson came back to finish off the top of the ninth as Butler took strike three to start. Gelof lined out to left but Brown beat out a tapper in front of the plate. McCann struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-0.
Hero of The Night is Masataka Yoshida. He drove in 4 big runs including hitting a 2 run home run.
The Good:
David Hamilton was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Connor Wong was 2 for 3 with a walk, home run and 3 total runs scored.
Wilyer Abreu was 3 for 4 with a home run and 2 total rbis.
Tanner Houck got the win by tossing 6 shutout innings allowing 2 hits and 3 walks.
Chase Anderson got the save with 3 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Tyler O'Neill was 0 for 4 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.
Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Romy Gonzalez struck out as a pinch hitter.
Dominic Smith was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3.
The Ugly:
Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
Big win tonight considering both the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles both lost. Somehow, after how bad the season has gone so far, the Sox are still within striking distance in the AL East. The Sox got hot at just the right time and Tanner Houck has been the unlikely ace. It would have been nice to get a Chris Sale to help in the off-season since nobody saw Sale himself ever being good again. Still, so far the formula is working. The offense is producing and on days when Houck, Kutter Crawford and Brayan Bello are on, they're tough to beat. The Sox needed to make a run before the all-star break and they did. Just have to win the final three games to end the first half on a high note. The win improved the Sox to 51-42, 6 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox now welcome in the Kansas City Royals for the final 3 games before the break. Tomorrow night Cooper Criswell (3-3) takes on Cole Ragans of Kansas City at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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