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Final: Astros 7, Red Sox 3 - Houck settles in but Boston's woes in the field continue
Tanner Houck went 5.0 innings, giving up three runs (earned) on four hits, three walks and two strikeouts in his return to the lineup, but the Red Sox couldn't lift him up, falling to the Astros, 7-3, in Houston on Tuesday. Rafael Devers and the defense struggled again, finishing the night with three errors as a team, while Boston's offense sputtered with runners on base once again. The Sox were just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, stranding 10 in all and leaving seven RISP with two outs. Alex Cora and Alex Verdugo were both ejected, while Wilyer Abreu (2-for-3, R, K, E)made his MLB debut.
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WHO: Red Sox (66-59) vs. Astros (71-55)
WHEN: 8:10 p.m. ET
WHERE: Minute Maid Park, Houston
SERIES TO DATE: Houston leads, 1-0
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Tanner Houck (2-6, 5.05) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (8-6, 3.36)
TV/RADIO: NESN, TBS, WEEI-FM 93.7
LINEUPS
RED SOX
1. Alex Verdugo RF
2. Rafael Devers 3B
3. Justin Turner DH
4. Masataka Yoshida LF
5. Adam Duvall CF
6. Triston Casas 1B
7. Trevor Story SS
8. Luis UrÍas 2B
9. Connor Wong C
SP Tanner Houck
ASTROS
1. Jose Altuve 2B
2. Alex Bregman 3B
3. Kyle Tucker RF
4. Yainer Díaz 1B
5. Chas McCormick LF
6. Mauricio Dubón CF
7. Jon Singleton DH
8. Jeremy Peña SS
9. Martin Maldonado C
SP Justin Verlander
WHAT'S UP
The Red Sox are looking to bounce back from a sloppy 9-4 loss in Monday's series opener with the Astros. James Paxton and the defense struggled, and Boston failed to come through with runners in scoring position after Duvall started things off with a three-run dinger in the first.
The Sox sit 4.0 games behind Seattle in the Wild Card.
Jarren Duran was placed on the 10-day IL with a bruised toe sustained in New York. OF Wilyer Abreu was recalled from Triple-A Worcester, hitting .274/.391/.538 with 22 home runs in the minors.
Houck will make his first appearance since June 16 after getting hit by a line drive and sustaining a facial fracture. Tuesday marks his third career appearance against Houston, previously earning two saves in 2.2 scoreless innings in 2022. In his previous nine starts before his injury, Houck was 0-6 with a 5.40 ERA.
Verlander will make his 20th career start against Boston in the regular season and his first since 2019. He is 5-6 with a 2.87 ERA in the previous 19. He went 5.0 innings, giving up nine hits, five runs (four earned) with a pair of walks and strikeouts in a 12-5 win at Miami last time out.