A funny thing has happened to this Red Sox team here in mid-June, even as the offense has hit the skids and the influx of young position players–including three of the top prospects in the game in Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell–has proven mostly fruitless. Boston has strung together five straight wins and has done it behind … starting pitching.
Yes, the same team whose starting rotation had so much trouble getting out of the fourth inning just weeks ago has suddenly looked like a juggernaut in this last turn through the rotation. With Brayan Bello completing the sweep of the Yankees with a 2-0 gem in which he pitched 7.0 innings, Red Sox starters have gone 4-0 with a 1.05 ERA in their last five starts.
All five starters in that string have gone at least six innings, with just 18 hits and nine walks allowed in 34.1 innings. The only starter to not get a win was Garrett Crochet, who threw 8.1 electrifying innings before allowing a home run in what went on to be a 2-1 Red Sox win.
And there’s more good news ahead.
Tanner Houck to Star for Worcester
That good news centers on Tanner Houck, who was expected by many to be the No. 2 starter in the rotation before he struggled out of the gate and was sent to the injured list with a flexor pronator strain a month ago. Houck was an All-Star last year at 9-10 with a 3.12 ERA, but got off to an 0-3 start with an 8.04 ERA in nine starts this year before being diagnosed with the arm issue.
But Houck will be back on the mound on Wednesday in Worcester, where he will make his first rehab start as he comes back from the injury, manager Alex Cora announced on Sunday.
From a report on NESN.com: “Houck will begin his long-awaited rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday, according to Red Sox manager Alex Cora. Houck will throw two-to-three innings in his first appearance since May 12 — which was his last start before being placed on the injured list with a right flexor pronator strain two days later.”
Red Sox Heading on Big West Coast Trip
We won’t see Houck back in Fenway at least until next month, then. And we won’t see the Red Sox back in Fenway until June 27, as the team heads out for a West Coast trip that starts on Monday night in Seattle. The Red Sox get three in Seattle, have an off day on Thursday, then play three in San Francisco. They close with the Angels from Monday, June 23-25.
Cora announced that his rotation will proceed as is, with Lucas Giolito on Monday, followed by Walker Buehler and Crochet for the Seattle series. The Red Sox will not be taking a sixth starter on the road with them.
Boston, of course, dug itself into a hole in the standings with a subpar first three months to the year. But the Yankees sweep puts them back over .500–now they’ve got to carry the momentum onto this trip against good Mariners and Giants teams, and an Angels team that has been better than expected (including winning two of three at Fenway early this month).
“Hopefully we go on the West Coast and play good baseball and we come back and get the winning feeling here around town and this place gets rockin’,” Cora said.
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