Two of the Boston Red Sox’s best young arms put on quite a display Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park.
Tanner Houck put together the best start of Boston’s young season to date. The 25-year-old right-hander silenced the Minnesota Twins over 5 2/3 innings in which he only surrendered two hits and struck out four.
Garrett Whitlock took over after three outs from Matt Strahm, and the second-year sensation did what he usually does. Whitlock pitched the final 2 1/3 innings for the Red Sox, allowing no runs on two hits with five strikeouts to seal a 4-0 victory for the home team.
Alex Verdugo gave a deserved hat tip to Houck and Whitlock after the game and in the process gave a new nickname to the latter.
“Houck is just nasty and then obviously you have Mr. Four-Year Whit over here, just throwing bowling balls and doing what he does,” Verdugo told reporters, per MLB.com. “It’s a lot of fun out there when they are pitching and you know not too many balls are probably going to be hit to the outfield.”
Verdugo, of course, is referring to the four-year contract extension Whitlock signed with the Red Sox last Sunday. The 25-year-old, a Rule 5 draft pick by Boston in 2020, was “honored” to receive the investment from the ball club.
The Red Sox and the Twins will play the third contest of their four-game set Sunday afternoon. NESN’s full coverage of the matchup will begin at 12:30 p.m. ET.
