As the Red Sox fell to the Rays 2-1 at Tropicana Field on Saturday evening, wasting an excellent start by homegrown right-hander Brayan Bello, a similar scenario played out between the division rivals’ Triple-A affiliates.
The WooSox lost their penultimate game of the season to the Durham Bulls 4-3 in 10 innings, despite 3 1/3 innings of solid relief work from fellow homegrown Red Sox righty Tanner Houck, who is nearing a return from Tommy John surgery in August 2025.
Houck faced 12 batters, and allowed one earned run and one unearned, on two hits, struck out two and did not issue a walk.
Bulls catcher Tatem Levins scored both runs, but his only true damage off Houck was a one-out 431-foot solo homer in the seventh. Houck’s unearned run came after Sam McWilliams relieved him with one out in the 10th; McWilliams gave up an RBI single to Homer Bush Jr., and Levins scored as the automatic runner.
The Red Sox have not determined next steps for Houck, but they are planning to use him in a relief role. He could be activated during their final homestand, which begins Tuesday versus the Cleveland Guardians.
Houck is the longest-tenured Red Sox major leaguer in the organization, having debuted Sept. 15, 2020. He owns a career 3.97 ERA over six big-league seasons, a mark inflated by his 8.04 ERA in nine starts before the season-ending surgery last year.
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