Blue Jays can't crack Houck, split twin bill

The Blue Jays were on to something when they drafted high schooler Tanner Houck in the 12th round of the 2014 MLB Draft. Unfortunately for them, the Red Sox got the hint a few years later, nabbing a college-aged Houck in ‘17’s first round.

And on Wednesday night, in Game 2 of a split doubleheader at Fenway Park, Toronto saw what it was missing in a 4-1 loss. In his first action against the Blue Jays, Houck retired nine of his first 10, allowing just one run in four strong innings.

• Box score

The Blue Jays took Game 1, 4-1 -- behind Robbie Ray's six innings of one-run ball and eight strikeouts -- but after splitting the twin bill, they’ll need a win on Thursday to halve the series.

Toronto’s only threat against Houck came in the fourth inning, when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led off with a double, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on an RBI single courtesy of Bo Bichette. He neutralized the Blue Jays’ big five, who were a combined 2-for-10 with five strikeouts against the lanky right-hander.

“He’s one of those that you see a couple of pitches and you go, ‘Uh oh. This guy’s got good stuff,’” Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo said of Houck. “He had us off-balance. Nasty sinker, good slider. He’s got good stuff, he did a good job.”

Seven years after the Blue Jays first put Houck’s name on their Draft board, it’s a bit unfair to suggest that he’s the one who got away. High schoolers are often difficult to sign, especially ones outside the top 10 rounds, because they typically command above-slot signing bonuses to skip college.

And in Houck’s case, according to a 2015 story by the Columbia Daily Tribune, Houck chose the University of Missouri over the Majors for that very reason.

“Me and my mom, we wanted the dollars,” Houck told the Tribune. “We wanted to know that my future was secure.”

Then again, the Blue Jays had a second shot at being Houck’s future in 2017. Two picks before he went to Boston at No. 24, Toronto selected college shortstop Logan Warmoth (currently 25 years old and posting a .770 OPS with Triple-A Buffalo).

Back to present day, Toronto is now 5-9 against Boston despite outscoring them by eight runs (74-66). The Blue Jays have an American League Wild Card race to worry about, but they’re also running out of chances to deal damage to the AL East leaders: After Thursday, Toronto will host Boston for four games in early August to close out their season series.

“Looking back to some of our games earlier in the season, we’ve played them tough,” said Steven Matz, who worked 3 1/3 innings in the nightcap loss. “Unfortunately their record is a little better against us, but I think we’re right there. I really do. Even today, with this lineup [down] three runs, you’re in striking distance there. So I think we’ve just gotta keep playing good baseball.”

The Blue Jays did bring the tying run to the plate in the sixth against reliever Garrett Whitlock, with two on and two out for reigning Silver Slugger Teoscar Hernández. One swing from Hernández could’ve changed the game, but instead he kept things right where they were with a groundout to short.

Wednesday’s games mirrored each other, but with opposite results. The Blue Jays and Red Sox both had one solid start and one clunker; one game with enough timely offense and one game without.

When judging the season series as a whole, Montoyo views the greatest differentiator as the teams’ bullpens. It’s no coincidence that that’s still viewed as Toronto’s greatest area of need ahead of Friday’s Trade Deadline.

“Their bullpen has done a little better job than our bullpen, but our starters are doing a good job [and] our offense is equally good,” Montoyo said. “But their bullpen has been a little bit better in the games that they’ve won.”