Tanner Houck was pulled from his Game 1 start against the New York Yankees on Tuesday after four innings, but he was pleased with his outing despite being taken out in favor of a bullpen implosion that resulted in a 5-3 loss.
Houck scattered five hits that resulted in two runs, and the damage largely was done in the second inning.
He allowed three singles and hit Luke Voit with a pitch, and it was in that frame that New York tied things up at 2-all. But the 25-year-old recovered to retire the side in order in the third, then he finished the fourth despite allowing two more singles.
His ability to adjust is what he believes was the key to preventing the Yankees from getting ahead.
"I'm happy with how I keep making in-game adjustments," Houck said after the loss over Zoom. "Whether it's pitch execution, whether it's just kind of re-going over the game plan or a physical adjustment, I'm pretty happy with how I've been able to make those quicker adjustments than I have in the past. So in terms of how the start went, I made a few pitch adjustments that I'm pretty happy with."
Houck has been moving between Boston and Triple-A Worcester in recent weeks to give the major-league club some roster flexibility between his starts, and that's a role that he has accepted. And if he keeps pitching the way he has this season, he'll continue to be a valuable part of the Red Sox rotation.
