Guardians out-guard Red Sox, win series opener.
Around the fourth or fifth inning of tonight’s game, I started to feel as if I had already seen this game play out. I didn’t have to think back very far, because the game I had in mind played out just last week. On one side, Tanner Houck was pitching for the Red Sox, working quickly, and mowing down Guardians’ hitters, while Ben Lively did his best to match him.
In the first meeting, the Red Sox were able to drive in early runs via a balk and a home run. Today, Wilyer Abreu came through a bit later with a solo home run of his own. Unfortunately, that’s where the similarities stopped. Houck ran into trouble in the seventh, surrendering back-to-back hits and a walk without recording an out before exiting the game. Brennan Bernardino couldn’t strand the runners, the Guardians took the lead and never looked back.
It’s unfair to expect Tanner Houck to repeat his performance from last week, but it’s not unreasonable to expect the Red Sox to help him out offensively. The offense was toothless for most of the afternoon, with the lone threat coming when Rob Refsnyder doubled to lead off the fifth inning. Valdez, Wong, and Dalbec couldn’t drive him in, and baserunners were hard to come by for the rest of the game. Rafael Devers will be back tomorrow, let’s hope his presence can spark the rest of the offense and get the team back in the win column. You gotta score more than a run to win games in this league.
Three Studs
Tanner Houck (6+ IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 K, 3 BB)
Houck came apart a bit in the seventh inning, getting charged with two earned runs as he didn’t record an out in the frame. Still, the changes we saw, and I outlined, in his last outing seem to be for real. He went to his secondaries often and commanded his changeup (I’m calling it a changeup until I’m correct) incredibly well. The trouble came in the seventh, when the Guardians finally appeared to catch up to his game plan, waiting on the breakers instead of being caught off-balance. All in, it was a great start for Houck, who had the unique challenge of facing the same team twice in two weeks.
Rob Refsnyder (3-3, 2B)
Refsnyder has been swinging it well since returning from injuries, against both righties and lefties. He put together a nice day as he reached base in all three of his at-bats.
Wilyer Abreu (1-4, HR)
I could watch Abreu swing the bat all day. The lefty has almost kept the offense alive over the last five or so games. After a very slow start, he’s started to get in a rhythm offensively. His home run tonight was the only Red Sox run.
Three Duds
Connor Wong (1-3)
Connor Wong has swung the bat surprisingly well this season, but he’s had issues with some of the minor details. Blocking pitches, getting crossed up, and now being picked off by the catcher after a ball in the dirt. In a one-run game, with one out, that just can’t happen. I don’t want to disparage his effort. I know he was trying to be aggressive to help his team but he has to have more awareness.
Jarren Duran (0-4)
Jarren Duran has struggled since starting the year on a tear. I’ll leave you with this stat, from Stats.
Duran
Games 1-8: .394 BA
Games 9-24: .209 BA— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) April 24, 2024
Cam Booser (1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 K, 1 BB)
The Booze-hound didn’t have it tonight as he couldn’t keep it a one-run game in the eighth. Pitching to Jose Ramirez, in the rain, on the road, in a tight game, in the eighth inning, in your third career outing is hardly an easy task. He’s a big leaguer now and not just a feel-good story, so he finds himself in the duds for today.
Play of the Game
Here’s Wilyer Abreu, driving in the only Red Sox run of the evening. He’s got such an aesthetically pleasing swing.
WILYER ABREU PUTTING THE DAMN TEAM ON HIS BACK pic.twitter.com/QjuNUfWHxI
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) April 23, 2024