Red Sox starter claims to be more lost than he's 'ever been' amid struggles
Tanner Houck, a Boston Red Sox starter and former All-Star, is currently struggling with his performance, evident in his high 8.04 ERA over nine starts and two particularly poor outings against the Tampa Bay Rays and Detroit Tigers. In his recent start against the Tigers, Houck gave up 11 earned runs in just over two innings, leading him to express feeling more lost than ever in his career. Despite showing potential with a quality start just two games prior, his inconsistency is concerning as he leads the league in earned runs allowed. Red Sox manager Alex Cora plans to review Houck's performance to determine whether the issues are mechanical or related to his usage. The team, hoping to catch up to the New York Yankees in the AL East, needs Houck to regain his form from the previous season when he posted a 3.12 ERA over 30 starts.
Context:
Tanner Houck, a Boston Red Sox starter and former All-Star, is currently struggling with his performance, evident in his high 8.04 ERA over nine starts and two particularly poor outings against the Tampa Bay Rays and Detroit Tigers. In his recent start against the Tigers, Houck gave up 11 earned runs in just over two innings, leading him to express feeling more lost than ever in his career. Despite showing potential with a quality start just two games prior, his inconsistency is concerning as he leads the league in earned runs allowed. Red Sox manager Alex Cora plans to review Houck's performance to determine whether the issues are mechanical or related to his usage. The team, hoping to catch up to the New York Yankees in the AL East, needs Houck to regain his form from the previous season when he posted a 3.12 ERA over 30 starts.
Dive Deeper:
Tanner Houck has had a challenging season, reflected in his 8.04 ERA, with significant struggles in two starts where he allowed double-digit earned runs, most recently giving up 11 runs in just over two innings against the Detroit Tigers.
Houck openly admitted to feeling more lost than ever in his career, indicating the psychological impact of his current performance issues as he struggles to meet expectations and deliver results for his team.
Despite his recent struggles, Houck showed signs of capability earlier in the season with a quality outing where he pitched seven innings with six strikeouts, highlighting his potential when in form.
Manager Alex Cora plans to analyze Houck's recent performances closely to identify whether the issues are mechanical, related to his pitch usage, or something else entirely, before deciding on his next turn in the rotation.
The Boston Red Sox, currently three games behind the New York Yankees in the American League East, are relying on Houck to improve and return to his previous season's form, where he maintained a 3.12 ERA and had consistent starts.
Houck's inconsistency this season is a significant concern for the Red Sox, as he leads the league in earned runs allowed, starkly contrasting his performance last year where he rarely allowed more than four earned runs in a game.
Aaliyan Mohammed, reporting on the situation, emphasizes the importance of Houck's performance for the Red Sox's postseason aspirations, noting his previous success and the team's need for stability in their starting rotation.
The Boston Red Sox are 22-21. just three games back of the New York Yankees in the American League East. While they are gearing up for a long postseason push, one of their starters has seemingly lost his way.
Tanner Houck, an All-Star last season, has an 8.04 ERA in nine starts. He has made two starts where he failed to make it through three innings and allowed double-digit earned runs. The first such outing came on April 14 against the Tampa Bay Rays. The second came on Monday night against the Detroit Tigers.
Houck gave up 11 earned runs in 2 1/3 innings. He issued three walks and gave up two home runs on nine hits. He spoke on his struggles after the game.
"Probably the most lost I’ve ever been," Houck said after the game per MassLive's Chris Cotillo. "I’m just not getting the job done, which weighs on my heavily."
Houck has been wildly inconsistent this year. He leads baseball in earned runs allowed. However, just two starts ago, he dealt a quality start where he went seven innings with six strikeouts. However, things quickly took a turn for the worse on Monday night. Manager Alex Cora noted that the team will evaluate the outing before removing his next turn in the rotation.
"We’ll talk about it, of course...," said manager Cora per Cotillo. "I’ve got to take a look at the video and we’ve got to see what we’re gonna do. Right now, it’s too fresh. It’s too quick. We have to take a look at it and see if it’s mechanical, usage, or where we’re at."
Houck had a 3.12 ERA in 2024. He made 30 starts and had just three outings where he allowed more than four earned runs. His shortest outing was 3 1/3 innings last season. Something is not right with him on the mound. The Red Sox will need the best version of Houck if they want to pass the Yankees in the AL East.
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