FINAL: Red Sox 2, Guardiens 0 - Houck pitches complete game shutout in Boston win

The Red Sox defeat the Cleveland Guardians 2-0 on Wednesday night behind a complete game shutout for Tanner Houck. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Houck gave up no runs, only three hits, no walks and nine strikeouts in the complete game shutout. Houck is the first Red Sox pitcher to throw a complete game shutout in under 100 pitches since Clay Buchholz on 8-31-14 vs the Rays (94). 

• Connor Wong hit a moonshot home run (third of the year) into the green monster in the 4th inning which made it 2-0 Boston. 

• Boston got their first run across on a balk by Ben Lively which scored Pablo Reyes from third base. 
• Jarren Duran also stood out tonight for the Red Sox going 2 for 4 at the plate. 
• Boston bullpen got a much needed rest tonight. Alex Cora said there was never any thought of going to the bullpen with how Houck was pitching. 
• First shutout by a Boston pitcher at Fenway Park since Brian Johnson in 2017. 
• Houck's last nine-inning shutout was back on March 26th, 2016 when he pitched for Missouri versus Vanderbilt. 
• First shortest game time for the Red Sox since 1975. 

The Red Sox will have a chance for a series split tomorrow afternoon in the final game of the four-game series at 1:35 p.m. 

_______________________________

WHO: Cleveland Guardians (12-5) at Red Sox (9-9)
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park, Boston. 
SERIES TO DATE: 0-2
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Ben Lively (4-7, 5.38 ERA) (2023) vs. RHP Tanner Houck (2-1, 2.04 ERA)
TV/RADIO: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7
LIVE BOX
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Duran LF
Devers DH
Casas 1B
Abreu RF
Valdez 2B
Wong C 
Hamilton SS
Reyes 3B
Rafaela CF

SP Tanner Houck

OPPONENT
Kwan LF
Gimenez 2B
Ramirez 3B
Naylor 1B
Brennan DH
Florial RF
Arias CF
Hedges C
Rocchio SS

SP Ben Lively

WHAT'S UP

• Boston lost to the Guardians last night 10-7 after rallying to tie the game with a 5-run sixth inning. 
• The bullpen gave up three runs in the 11th inning which wound up being the difference. The Sox now look to salvage the series tonight with a win which would give them the chance of a series split. 
• Garrett Whitlock has been placed on the IL but Alex Cora expects it to be short. The Sox have called up Joe Jacques. 
• Rafael Devers will DH tonight after leaving the game last night. 
•  The Sox have allowed 52 runs in their last 8 games (6.5 per game), compared to 24 in their first 10 games (2.4 per game).
• Boston’s 2.89 ERA ranks 2nd in MLB behind KC (2.83)...The Red Sox won the World Series in each of the previous 2 seasons that they posted an ERA below 3.00 through 18 games: 2018 (2.68) and 2013 (2.83).
• The Red Sox’ 23 HR rank 2nd in the AL (BAL-27) and 5th in MLB...Last night was their 6th game this season with multiple HR and 4th with as many as 3.
•  Tyler O’Neill has hit 7 HR, tied with Mike Trout and Marcell Ozuna for the ML lead...O’Neill leads MLB in SLG (.750) and OPS (1.209).

• Red Sox catchers (Reese McGuire, Connor Wong) lead the AL and rank 3rd in MLB in RBI (14)...The duo ranks 2nd in the AL in AVG (.302) and 3rd in OPS (.789).

• Wong last night went 2-for-4 with 3 RBI, hitting a 2-run HR in the 6th inning and a game-tying sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th.

• In 10 games this season (8 starts), Wong has hit .355 with a .925 OPS and 7 RBI (11-for-31, 2B, 2 HR).