Collinsville’s Tanner Houck shines in MLB debut with Boston Red Sox against Marlins
Tanner Houck made sure his Major League debut was one to remember Tuesday against the Miami Marlins.
A 2014 graduate of Collinsville High School, Houck blanked Miami over five innings and was the winning pitcher in the Red Sox 2-0 victory at Miami Marlins Field.
Houck, 24, who played three years at the University of Missouri before being selected as the 24th overall pick in the first found of the 2017 MLB Amateur Draft by Boston, had seven strikeouts and walked three while allowing two hits.
Houck threw 86 pitches — 49 for strikes — and only allowed a leadoff single to Corey Dickerson in the first inning and a single by Garrett Cooper in the second. Houck retired nine of the final 11 Marlins.
Red Sox veteran Jackie Bradley Jr. broke up a scoreless game with a two-out double in the top of the sixth inning to give Boston a 1-0 lead. Three Red Sox relievers combined to keep Florida scoreless over the final three innings and preserve Houck’s first big league win.
Ranked as Boston’s No. 10 overall prospect, Houck was elevated to the Red Sox active roster over the weekend. Since making his minor league debut in 2017 with Class A Lowell, Houck has compiled a 15-20 record but has struck out 243 hitters in 249 innings.
This story was originally published September 16, 2020 at 11:00 AM.
