Getting Bobby Dalbec's introduction was the first step. Tanner Houck? That was a hop, skip and a jump.
The Red Sox needed something like Houck gave them Tuesday night in Miami: A starting pitcher who actually suggested at least one answer was on the horizon.
What if this pitcher is able to actually be a legitimate member of the 2021 Red Sox' rotation? That is the kind of difference-maker Chaim Bloom can build off of.
"That's why we have him pitching right now is to see what he's like and see if he would fit in next year, or what we think of him," said Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke after his team's 2-0 win over the Marlins. "So it's good to have him out there and yes, if we could get him a couple more [starts this season], that would be great. So we'll see what happens. But what a great start for him. You want to make an impression, and he made an impression on all of us."
Dalbec's emergence may have solved one piece of the puzzle. But first base is first base. Starting pitching? That's the Red Sox' Great White Whale.
lol pic.twitter.com/A8IjkrIr44
— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) September 15, 2020
Sure, there may be a bit of cart-before-the-horse mentality going on after Houck's five shutout innings. But that's how desperate this organization is. It had been 7,198 days since a Red Sox rookie starter made such an impression in his debut, with Eduardo Rodriguez firing 7 2/3 innings in Texas on May 28, 2015.
Rodriguez, however, also should exhibit a reason to pump the breaks.
While the lefty allowed for that shock-and-awe moment in Arlington, it wasn't until 2019 that Rodriguez finished a season with more than 24 starts and could be fully relied on to help anchor a rotation. In other words, there's a long ways to go.
But Tuesday was the kind of start that offers something that position hasn't had in some time … optimism.
Houck wasn't perfect. His command led to three walks and some uneasiness on the way to his 86-pitch outing. But there was enough to work with. The Miguel Rojas fourth-inning at-bat, for instance …
With the game still scoreless, and runners on first and second after a pair of walks, the right-handed-hitting Rojas — he of the .361 batting average — stepped up. Using a 91-92 mph two-seamer, Houck peppered the Miami hitter with pitches on the inside part of the plate, building the count to 3-2.
Then came the pitcher NESN analyst Dennis Eckersley had dubbed "the sweeper" throughout the debut.
The big slider — Houck's bread-and-butter — absolutely froze Rojas to end the inning and begin the belief.
He threw a fastball that touched 96 mph. There were six introductory split-fingered offerings. Lefties went just 1-for-6 again him. And, along the way, he raised $700 for his Pitch For Adoption campaign thanks to his seven strikeouts.
All in all, this was probably along the lines of what everyone involved with the Red Sox were looking for.
"Getting that win was truly amazing," Houck said. "The guys went out there and did what they had to do. Swinging the bat, they did absolutely everything they could, and then the bullpen coming in was amazing. But for me, getting to go out there, getting to warm up the first time, definitely had the heart pounding a little bit more than usual. It was a surreal moment."
Houck raised $700 for his Pitch For Adoption campaign thanks to his seven strikeouts.
