The Boston Red Sox weren't able to extend their win streak, falling 6-1 in their series finale with the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday at Citizens Bank Park.
Nevertheless, Red Sox manager Alex Cora isn't too concerned about the defeat, instead focused on growth in multiple areas. In Boston's first loss in the last nine games, Cora highlighted the strides made by starting pitcher Tanner Houck despite being dealt his second loss of the season.
The right-hander pitched 5 2/3 innings against the Phillies, allowing three earned runs off five hits while walking one and striking out four on 74 pitches. Houck began the outing by tossing three scoreless innings, facing just nine hitters in the process, including a seven-pitch third inning."
"He's been good," Cora told reporters, as seen on NESN's postgame coverage. "I think he's gone five (innings) in most of his outings. Giving us a chance to win, obviously. The last one he gave us six, but he gave us what we needed so we don't see it by results or whatever. We see how he's trending and the stuff and today he was very efficient. He did a good job."
One area in which Houck has definitely displayed some upside is innings pitched. In six of seven starts made thus far, Houck has gone at least five innings with the outlier being a single four-inning outing. The 26-year-old also became Boston's innings leader (37 2/3) after Sunday's loss.
"Felt like I went out there, threw a lot of strikes, got ahead of hitters early," Houck told reporters, as seen on NESN's postgame coverage. "Kind of fixed the stuff that felt like I struggled with last outing. But this was in between start adjustments that you gotta make each day."
Houck added: "To have that confidence from AC is great, but got another one to get ready for."
Cora also confirmed that Houck will make his next start, scheduled for May 14 against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Here are more notes from Sunday's Red Sox-Phillies series finale:
-- Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida extended his big league-best hit streak to 16 games, going 2-for-3 while also recording his fifth multi-hit game in his last six contests.
-- Triston Casas recorded one of just two extra-base hits from Boston's lineup, going yard in the fifth inning while finishing 1-for-2.
"The swing today felt good," Casas told reporters, per NESN. "... I think it's just hitting the better part of the bat and flying a little further than they have been before."
-- Former Red Sox and current Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber ended a 1-for-27 slump in his last seven games by going 2-for-3 against Boston, which included a two-run home run.
-- Taijuan Walker went six innings on the mound for Philadelphia, becoming just the fifth starting pitcher to go six or more innings when facing the Red Sox this season.
-- The Red Sox have allowed 183 runs to opponents, which is most of any team in the American League East and the fifth most in Major League Baseball.
-- Boston returns to action Tuesday, opening a three-game road series with the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Game 1 of the series is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. ET, and you can catch the game, along with a full hour of pregame coverage, live on NESN.
