What Alex Cora Thought About Tanner Houck’s Season Debut

Red Sox manager Alex Cora hoped Tanner Houck would right the ship after a pair of underwhelming starts from Boston’s staff, and the right-hander did just that in the series finale against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.

Houck went five innings in Boston’s 9-5 victory at Fenway Park, its longest start of the season. He retired the side in both the first and third innings and limited the Orioles to three batters in the fourth, as well.

Houck faced trouble in the fifth as he allowed a pair of Baltimore home runs, which at the time turned Boston’s three-run advantage into a tie game. However, on the whole, Cora was pleased with the 26-year-old.

“He was good,” Cora said of Houck, who allowed three runs on five hits with five strikeouts. “I mean, the two home runs, it is what it is. But he was around the plate with good stuff. He gave us a chance to win. We were where we were in the bullpen and I think the guys, they got the big outs when they needed. But overall for Tanner, a lot better than in Florida.”

Houck’s performance helped Boston’s bullpen a bit after Corey Kluber didn’t make it through four innings on Opening Day and Chris Sale lasted just three innings Saturday.

Now the Red Sox will hope Kutter Crawford can do much of the same when they return to Fenway Park on Monday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The first of a three-game series will feature first pitch at 7:10 p.m. ET, and you can watch it live on NESN following an hour of pregame coverage.