BSJ Game Report: Orioles 11, Red Sox 2 - Tanner Houck can't extend before pitching duel became blowout

All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 11-2 loss to the Orioles, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

Tanner Houck incapable of going long again: Tanner Houck aimed to pitch longer into games after three runs were charged to him with a 9-1 lead against Kansas City when he couldn't record an out in the sixth inning. He nearly did on Friday, entering the sixth with 60 pitches and trailing only 1-0 with a lone mistake pitch to Ryan O'Hearn (solo home run) in the fourth. Houck fell apart again, walking Anthony Santander on a bad 3-2 pitch high-and-outside to lead off the sixth. O'Hearn hit a single on the next pitch, then Cedric Mullins scored two on a long double to right that Alex Verdugo poorly relayed into the infield. That extra base for Mullins cost Houck, who gave up an unearned run on Austin Hays' single. His fifth run crossed against Joe Jacques, Mays scoring on a sacrifice fly. Houck finished yielding four earned runs on eight hits and two walks, striking out five. 

"First five innings, good," Houck said. "Sixth inning, the past two starts, need to clean it up a little bit. Need to get better, need to execute pitches a little bit better. All-in-all, continue to learn, push myself to get better each time and continue to work. I think continuing to stick with my strong suits as best as I can. I've grown as a pitcher in terms of being in the zone more, attacking hitters earlier and trying to go deeper into games, understanding the development side of that, pitch sequencing and all that. It's forever and evolving process. Day-by-day, you're not gonna have certain pitches, so you've gotta lean on other pitches more." 

Sox offense lifeless vs. Kyle Bradish: The Red Sox started 1-16 against Orioles starter Kyle Bradish before Connor Wong, the lone Boston hitter who reached over that stretch, belted a 400-foot homer in the sixth inning. Seven straight Sox batters fell before that brief Boston rally, four by strikeout, bookended by Alex Verdugo's double off the monster and Justin Turner's ground-rule double that took Verdugo home. Bradish finished the inning, striking out nine Sox in total across six innings. Baltimore relievers Jacob Webb, DL Hall and Jorge López retired nine of the next 10 Sox hitters to close the game, Boston hitting 4-31 (.129) with one walk in arguably the team's worst offensive performance all season. Trevor Story fell to .170, coming with Masataka Yoshida, Triston Casas and Adam Duvall to go 0-14. Rafael Devers fell to 0-4 after Ryan McKenna robbed his 30th home run in the eighth. 

"A lot of swings and misses," Cora said. "(Devers) hit the ball hard, some good signs there, but like the last few games in Tampa, we're not putting the ball in play and that's tough. It's tough to score runs that way ... (Bradish) is one of the best pitchers in the big leagues." 

TWO UP

Connor Wong: Hit an impressive sixth-inning home run far over the monster against Bradish as he hit his stride. Hitters entered the night allowing only 12 home runs over 139.2 innings, fewer than 1.0 per nine. Wong caught Bradish's sinker high-and-in for his ninth blast this season. Wong provided the only Sox hit in 16 at-bats prior, catching a low, 0-2 breaking ball and driving it up the middle for a single in the third in a 0-0 game. His homer gave Boston some hope down 5-2. Wong added a walk in the eighth inning. 

Justin Turner: Shame his incredible season could go forgotten as this season fades away, Turner improved to 28 doubles and a career-high 92 RBI at age 38 with his sixth-inning ground rule double. Despite a long strikeout run carrying him into Friday, he still posted a .793 OPS across his prior 25 games since injuring his foot. The struggle for the Sox over that stretch came while managing the team's young players and Yoshida in the field without a DH spot available. He might soon have to take a seat, heal his foot and allow the team's call-ups to hit. His return would still be welcomed next year. 

THREE DOWN 

Tanner Houck: Opponents have scored 11 runs on eight hits and two walks in the sixth inning following Friday's slip-up that became Houck's ninth loss. Without the upside to extend later into games, Houck's ability to start regularly falls into question entering next year. He worked around baserunners in the first and third innings before O'Hearn launched his slider to right field in the fourth. His bad walk to begin the sixth signaled his impending loss of control that put Joe Jacques in a bad spot relieving him with only one out. That poor handoff happened last game with Nick Pivetta, and became a theme for this pitching staff in recent weeks. Boston's starters couldn't provide the length the team's bullpen needed to survive into September. 

"Threw the ball well, there was some traffic the third time around," Cora said. "His stuff was good, he got some swings-and-misses. He's just gotta keep working at it. He's got good stuff. We'll find a way, because this kid, his stuff is good. The cutter was good today, the sinker, the slider, we've just gotta keep working. We've gotta keep pushing him out there to go as long as possible." 

Joe Jacques/Bullpen: Even considering the bad position Houck and Alex Cora placed him in, Jacques cost the Sox by walking Jordan Westburg and hitting Ramon Urías on five pitches. Baltimore loaded the bases and though only Adley Rutschman scored, a run charged to Houck, the Orioles extending their lead to 5-0 sent the game off the rails. Brennan Bernardino warmed up alongside Jacques while Houck struggled, and later entered the game unable to record an out while Baltimore tripled, scored on his wild pitch and singled in the eighth. Both Jacques, hitting two batters with the bases loaded in Tampa, and Bernardino, walking two batters on Wednesday, struggled in their last appearances and don't inspire confidence in middle relief. Brandon Walter, walking three and yielding four more runs in the ninth to reach a 7.20 ERA, doesn't either. 

Enmanuel Valdez: Committed the most baffling fielding miscue after a decent run without such a debacle in the middle of the infield since Trevor Story's return. After Jacques walked Santander to begin the seventh inning, O'Hearn grounded out to Valdez, who turned toward first and ignored Santander running right into him to record the out at first. Triston Casas tried to down Santander at second and threw the ball into left field. Santander didn't score or advance, but the runner in scoring position down 5-2 pulled John Schreiber into the game early before Rutschman homered off Schreiber and effectively ended the game an inning later. Valdez hit 0-2 and exited the game in favor of Ceddanne Rafaela in the eighth. 

NOTABLE 

OF Alex Verdugo (hamstring) hit a double returning to the leadoff spot after missing the Tampa series.

IF Pablo Reyes (elbow) singled and scored before exiting the game late after hitting 1-3 in a loss to Gwinnett Stripers with Triple-A Worcester. SP Corey Kluber (shoulder), out since June and originally scheduled to make a rehab start tonight, will pitch tomorrow instead due to travel issues. Hope remains that he can rejoin the Red Sox before the season ends. Boston intends to pitch him in relief upon his return. 

Boston now trails in the AL wild-card race by 6.0 games behind Toronto after the Blue Jays beat the Royals tonight. 

UP NEXT 

Saturday vs. Orioles at 4:10 p.m., RHP Jack Flaherty (8-8, 4.84 ERA) vs. LHP Chris Sale (6-3, 4.46 ERA)