April 15, 2025 / 9:34 AM EDT / CBS Boston
Tanner Houck was on the wrong side of Red Sox history Monday night, as the Boston starter was absolutely rocked by the Tampa Bay Rays. In allowing 12 runs over just 2.1 innings, Houck turned in the worst start by a Red Sox pitcher — ever.
The Rays pummeled the Boston righty at George M. Steinbrenner Field, and won the game 16-1 to tie the largest margin of victory in Tampa Bay franchise history. Houck was tagged for 11 earned runs off 10 hits, including a pair of home runs.
It was clear it wouldn’t be Houck’s night from the get-go, when Yandy Diaz took his first pitch of the night — a 93.3 mph sinker — and crushed it 415 feet to centerfield for a leadoff homer. It was the only run Houck allowed in the first inning, but he was tagged for four more in the bottom of the second, including a two-run homer by Kameron Minser.
The third inning was an absolute nightmare for Houck, as he was hit for seven more runs, six of which were earned. Tampa ripped off three straight singles to start the frame before driving in a run on a fielder’s choice. The Boston defense then failed Houck when Alex Bregman couldn’t turn what should have been an inning-ending double play, which plated another run for the Rays.
A wild pitch, two straight singles by Tampa, and then a walk by Houck followed, leading to two more runs for the Rays. Houck departed down 9-1, before Michael Fulmer came on in relief and allowed five more runs.
In total, the Rays scored nine times in the bottom of the third off eight hits. The half inning took 27 minutes as Tampa sent 14 batters to the plate, and eight reached base in a row to break the game wide open. The nine-run frame was the highest-scoring inning by any team in the Majors this season.
Tanner Houck’s historically horrible start
How bad was it for Tanner Houck on Monday night? Historically bad.
No Boston pitcher had allowed 11 earned runs in as few as 2.1 innings since 1901, according to The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham. It was the worst short outing by a Red Sox starter since Doug Bird gave up 11 runs over 2.2 innings against the Chicago White Sox in 1983.
Houck is the first Red Sox pitcher to allow a dozen runs in a game since Galen Sisco was touched for a baker’s dozen by the Washington Senators in 1962, according to CBS Sports. Those are the only two Boston pitchers to give up 12 runs in a game over the last 88 years.
The Red Sox were on the other side of the equation the last time an American League pitcher gave up 12 runs in a game. It last happened in 2019 when Boston torched Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka for 12 runs over 3.1 innings.
Tanner Houck’s struggles in 2025
Houck was an All-Star last season, but he has struggled in three of his first four starts in 2025. He allowed seven runs over 9.2 innings over his first two outings, before tossing his best start of the year when he allowed just one run over 6.2 innings in an extra-innings loss to the Blue Jays last week.
He entered Monday’s game with a 4.41 ERA, which ballooned up to 9.16 after Houck was rocked by the Rays. Boston’s rotation ERA rose from 3.59 to 4.55 with Houck’s disaster outing.
The Red Sox have now lost six of their last eight games and sit at a disappointing 8-10 on the season.
Matt GeaganMatthew Geagan is a sports producer for CBS Boston. He has been part of the WBZ sports team for nearly 20 years. He moved over to the web in 2012 and has covered all the highs (and a few lows) in Boston sports.
