BOSTON — Though he didn’t induce many swings-and-misses, Tanner Houck held the Astros to just four hits in six innings in a solid start Friday night. But things unraveled in a hurry after he was pulled having thrown just 82 pitches.
In the seventh inning alone, Houston tagged relievers Lucas Sims and Zack Kelly for seven hits (including five straight singles) to flip a two-run deficit into a two-run lead. The Astros went on to beat the Red Sox, 8-4, in the opener of a six-game Boston homestand, as Boston’s bullpen imploded, allowing seven runs and 12 hits in just three innings. The Sox, who had won six of nine games entering the night, fell to 61-53. Offensively, they ended the game 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
