Red Sox Wrap: Tanner Houck Excels In Gutsy Start Vs. Yankees

The Boston Red Sox kept their hopes of a series split alive Thursday, kicking off their second consecutive doubleheader with a 5-0 victory over the New York Yankees at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox improved to 74-72 on the season while the Yankees fell to 73-73.

Check out the full box score here.

ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
There wouldn’t have been many people who blamed Tanner Houck if he looked a bit off Thursday.

It was quite an emotional day in Boston, after all. The Red Sox not only parted ways with former chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom earlier in the day, but the matinee matchup marked Houck’s first start against the Yankees since taking a liner off the face in a June start at Fenway Park.

If he had any nerves, the man former NESN broadcaster Dennis Eckersley lovingly referred to as “Cool Hand Luke,” didn’t show them.

Houck shoved against New York, racking up seven strikeouts across six scoreless innings pitched. It didn’t look like 27-year-old was going to make it that far, but a sixth-inning mound visit from Boston manager Alex Cora didn’t result in a change. Houck instead recorded the next two outs to get the Red Sox out of a jam.

In a low-scoring affair, Boston got everything it could have asked for out of Houck.

STARS OF THE GAME
— Houck was the star of the show in this one.

— Garrett Whitlock was just as impressive in an equally gutsy performance, giving the Red Sox another pair of scoreless innings out of the bullpen after coming off the bereavement list Monday.

— Ceddanne Rafaela belted his second home run and finished 2-for-4 at the plate with a homer and a double.

WAGER WATCH
Houck surpassed his pregame strikeout line (5.5 at DraftKings Sportsbook) fairly early, netting $100 bettors a quick and easy $190.91 payout.

ON DECK AT NESN
The Red Sox and Yankees will be back in action Thursday night, but won’t be on NESN.

You’ll have to wait until Friday for Boston’s return to NESN, when the club takes on the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. First pitch is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. ET and will air following an hour of pregame coverage.