All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' win over the Twins, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Houck rebounds from first start: In his 2022 debut, Tanner Houck labored at Yankee Stadium, allowing nine baserunners in just 3.1 innings as the Yankees ran up his pitch count and cut his night short. But on Saturday, he was both more efficient and more precise. Though he walked three in 5.2 innings, he allowed just base hits. He featured both his two-seamer and four-seamer with his slider, then went to his splitter to attack the lefties in the Minnesota lineup. Thanks to three double plays -- one each in the first, third and fifth innings -- he faced just one batter over the minimum in his first five innings. Getting into the sixth helped limit the load on the bullpen, which had to supply seven innings of relief on Friday when Nick Pivetta lasted just two innings.
Verdugo keeps swinging it: In spring training, Alex Verdugo looked a bit lost at the plate, rolling over on some pitches and not producing much. But since the regular season began, he's been far more locked in. In the second inning, he crushed a pitch over the Red Sox bullpen with Kike Hernandez on base, giving him the team lead in homers with three. It was his second in as many days. Verdugo is more focused on taking advantage of The Wall at Fenway to hit doubles this season, but when he can to a pitch out over the middle, he's strong enough to hit it a long way to the pull side. His belt in the second inning was measured at 437 feet.
Whitlock makes surprise appearance: On Friday, Alex Cora said the team wouldn't have Garrett Whitlock available until Sunday, after he offered four scoreless innings of relief in Detroit. But after Matt Strahm allowed a two-out double in the seventh, the Sox turned to Whitlock, who took things the rest of the way, going 2.1 innings while racking up a career-high five stirkeouts along the way. The Sox had tabbed Whitlock to be the piggy-back option for Rich Hill, but Cora saw the opportunity to go with Whitlock to close this one out. "Whenever I'm told I'm available, I'm just always mentally trying to be ready to go in,'' he said. "AC's in charge, so whenever he calls my name, I'm trying to be ready.'' Whitlock is fascinating weapon for the Sox out of the bullpen, and his versatility and willingness to pitch at any time gives them a lot of options going forward.
TURNING POINT
With the Sox already up 2-0, Xander Bogaerts managed to double that led with a single swing of the bat in the third inning, connecting for his first homer of the season, into the Monster Seats. Bogaerts didn't swing at any of the six pitches in the first inning as he was called out on strikes, but adopted a more aggressive stance in the third, taking a healthy cut at a ball that was outside the strike zone. He got enough of it to launch it out to left.
TWO UP
Trevor Story: He showed signs of life at the plate with a sharp single to right, and teamed up with Bogaerts to turn a pretty double play in the fifth inning, taking the feed from the shortstop barehanded.
Matt Strahm: When Houck tired in sixth, Strahm entered a stranded a runner, then got two quick outs in the seventh before surrendering a double. Strahm has retired 10 of the 12 hitters he's faced this season.
TWO DOWN
Bobby Dalbec: Dalbec is pulling off pitches at the plate, and it shows. He went 0-for-4 with a popup, groundout and flyout.
J.D. Martinez: The seven-game hitting streak came to an end with a walk, a groundout and two strikeouts.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"Each year, I always say that I'm going to hit, like, 30. And I hit, like, 12.'' -- Alex Verdugo on hitting homers.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* The shutout was the first for the Red Sox since last Sept. 29 at Baltimore
* The Sox improved to 7-2 while wearing their City Connect uniforms.
* Rafael Devers had a single to extend his hitting streak to 13 games, dating back to last season.
* Kike Hernandez had a third-inning double, giving him at least one extra-base hit in four straight games.
* Houck's home ERA in his career is 2.53.
UP NEXT
It's the third game of the four-game series Sunday at 1:35 between the Red Sox and Twins, with RHP Michael Wacha (0-0, 2.08) vs. RHP Bailey Ober (1-0, 7.20)