A Maddux on 94 pitches!
— MLB (@MLB)
Tanner Houck tosses the first shutout of his career! 🔥
Tanner Houck, a Collinsville native who attended Mizzou, was part of history Wednesday.
The right-handed Houck pitched a shutout on 94 pitches, a feat otherwise known as a Maddux. The statistic named after Hall of Famer Greg Maddux happens when a pitcher throws a shutout of nine or more innings with fewer than 100 pitches.
“I love it. It’s definitely a compliment. Obviously everyone knows Maddux and what he did for the game and how special he was,†Houck . “To have that terminology used is definitely fun.â€
The game took just 1:49, the fastest nine-inning MLB game . For reference, the Cardinals haven't played a game that fast .
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Houck allowed three hits and struck out nine while walking none, becoming the first pitcher to strike out nine in a Maddux that took 1:50 or less since Greg himself did it against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
"Very rarely would I say you have all your pitches working," Houck told team broadcaster . "Tonight was one of those where it just felt good out of the hand no matter what I was throwing. Definitely a special night."
Houck, 27, was selected 24th overall by the Red Sox in the 2017 draft. He's in his fourth full year in what's been an up-and-down career including missing time last year after being struck in the face with a line drive.
As he tries to solidify his spot in Boston's rotation, Houck has put his focus on command over velocity.
“I think it goes back to just not trying to overdo it, not trying to overthrow,†Houck said to . “Everyone gets caught up now on velo, and ultimately, sometimes I just got to check myself and realize that I know if I’m throwing 91 to 95 miles per hour, it’s probably more beneficial because I get the same amount of movement, but I also command it better.â€