Boston, MA
Boston Red Sox’ Hurler Tanner Houck Joins Greg Maddux in Awesome Baseball History
The Boston Red Sox beat the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday night, 2-0, at Fenway Park.
It was an important win for the Sox, who halted a two-game losing streak, and who got back over .500 at 10-9 on the year.
It was also an awesome win for righty Tanner Houck, who dominated on the mound in historic fashion. The starter tossed all nine innings, allowing no runs on three hits. He walked none and struck out nine. He’s now 3-1 on the season with a 1.35 ERA.
Per Sarah Langs of MLB.com:
TANNER HOUCK
94-pitch shutout
BOS 1st Maddux (9-IP SHO, sub-100 pitches) since 8/31/14 Clay Buchholz (98 pitches)
fewest pitches in a BOS 9-IP SHO since 6/29/12 Aaron Cook on 81 pitches
And this, also from Langs:
this game took AN HOUR AND 49 MINUTES
it’s the Red Sox shortest 9-inning game since 4/22/99 at DET, also 1:49
DET won 1-0 thanks to a Brad Ausmus 2-out HR b8
And finally, from @OptaSTATS:
Tanner Houck of the is the first MLB pitcher to toss a 9+ strikeout “Maddux” (9+ inning CG shutout on under 100 pitches) in 1:50 or less since Greg Maddux himself did so on August 20, 1995.
It was an extremely rare performance as you can tell, and a great one for Houck personally, who continues to try to establish himself in the starting rotation. While he’s always had good stuff, there’s been questions about if he can go deep into games and get lineups out a third time through the order.
He answered that question, at least for a day. The Red Sox and Guardians play again on Thursday at 1:35 p.m. ET.
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Boston, MA
To-go cocktails are now permanently legal in Massachusetts
BOSTON – You can once again grab a cocktail to go in Massachusetts. Gov. Maura Healey has signed a supplemental bill that makes to-go cocktails a permanent fixture at restaurants in the state.
Customers can buy up to 64 ounces of a mixed cocktail alongside a food purchase. The drinks must be kept in a sealed container and transported in the trunk of a car or a place “that is not considered the passenger area,” legislation says
Pandemic-era legislation becomes permanent
Cocktails to go were first legalized in Massachusetts in 2020, months after the COVID pandemic began, but only on a temporary basis. A temporary measure allowing their sale had expired on April 1.
“Massachusetts consumers, restaurants and bars can all toast to the fact that cocktails to-go are here to stay,” Andy Deloney of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States said in a statement. “During the pandemic, cocktails to-go were a critical source of revenue for many businesses, and now, the increased convenience and stability they offer is permanent.”
There are 27 states that have made to-go cocktails permanent, including Rhode Island, Connecticut and Maine.
Boston, MA
The Maxey Game, T-Wolves Fans, Underrated NFL Teams, and a Boston Sports Check-In With Sean Fennessey, Nate Tice, and Bill’s Dad
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Sean Fennessey to discuss the way Tyrese Maxey and the 76ers pulled out an incredible Game 5 win over the Knicks and where that game ranks among the most improbable playoff losses in NBA history (2:36). Then Bill is joined by Nate Tice of The Athletic and Yahoo Sports to discuss Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves (27:41), why he was so high on Drake Maye, and post-draft underrated NFL teams (42:00). Finally, Bill is joined by his dad for a Boston sports check-in, mostly focused on the Celtics and the Patriots (1:18:16).
Host: Bill Simmons
Guests: Sean Fennessey, Nate Tice, and Bill’s Dad
Producer: Kyle Crichton
Subscribe: Spotify / Apple Podcasts / Stitcher / RSS
Boston, MA
The Latest on Celtics’ Center Kristaps Porzingis’ Calf Injury Timetable
On Monday night at the Kaseya Center, the Boston Celtics took a commanding 3-1 series lead in their first-round rivalry clash with the Miami Heat.
While Derrick White delivering a career-high 38 points, burying 8/15 (53.3%) of his shots from beyond the arc, was the highlight of the evening for the visitors, the low point and most concerning development was Kristaps Porzingis departing Game 4 with 2:27 left in the first half.
The seven-foot-three center stepped on Tyler Herro’s foot while trying to get around him for an offensive rebound. After hobbling, he gingerly trotted down the floor.
Shortly after that, the Latvian native went into a dribble hand-off with Jaylen Brown, but his right calf tightened up. He then asked to come out of the contest, putting his face in his jersey in frustration as he went to the locker room.
Following Boston’s 102-88 win, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the early indications is Porzingis did not suffer an Achilles injury. After undergoing imaging, the Celtics ruled him out for Game 5 on Wednesday due to a right soleus strain.
That’s the same ailment Giannis Antetokounmpo sustained on Apr. 9 during the Milwaukee Bucks’ 104-91 victory vs. the C’s. The two-time MVP is yet to return.
Sports and family medicine physician, Dr. Jesse Morse, projects that it will likely take two-to-three weeks for him to return if the injury is mild.
As Boston moves forward without Porzingis, first focusing on trying to punch its ticket to the second round as quickly as possible, it will rely more on Al Horford, Luke Kornet, and Xavier Tillman Sr.
It helps that Horford was a member of the Celtics’ closing lineup for the last two postseason runs, which includes their 2022 trip to the NBA Finals.
Having a seven-foot-two center well-versed in their system and a six-foot-eight, 245-pound option who’s done well guarding the likes of Anthony Davis in the playoffs will also help them absorb Porzingis’ absence.
And as Celtics radio play-by-play broadcaster Sean Grande noted, Boston has played more minutes this year with the former All-Star center off the floor (57.4% of them) than on. In those minutes, the C’s have registered an impressive +11.8 net rating), which tops their +11.2 mark with him on the court.
Those numbers came from contests that included two wins against the Philadelphia 76ers, a 52-point blowout of the Golden State Warriors, a pair of victories vs. the Phoenix Suns, and an overtime triumph against the Minnesota Timberwolves. There was also a 128-111 win over the Orlando Magic, who Boston might face in the second round.
Another option the Celtics may utilize is playing Jayson Tatum at the five. The six-foot-eight star forward can guard many of the centers in today’s NBA. And when Boston, working without its top three players at the pivot, went small in that 17-point victory against the Magic at TD Garden, the hosts ran Orlando off the floor.
Tatum spending time at center is something Joe Mazzulla could tap into as early as Game 5 against the Heat as the Celtics aim to send the defending Eastern Conference champions on summer vacation.
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