House makes history
Published 7:00 am Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Picayune’s T. J. House carved himself out a piece of history Saturday night.
House picked up his first Major League win on the pitching mound as his Cleveland Indians beat Kansas City 7-3 at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
House moved to 1-2 on the year after making his seventh start for the Indians this season.
“It feels great,” House said. “I hadn’t had one yet, but the time came and it was the right time, at home in front of the fans.”
House’s teammates celebrated the win by wheeling him into the locker room shower and dousing him with a beer bath.
““I got rolled into this little cart and they gave me a shower. I’ll take one of those every time I pitch if it means the team wins,” said House.
House also planned on sending a few game balls and the line-up card home to his parents. The team marked that night’s ine-up card with “first big league win” in his honor.
“That’s going right home. I’m sure my mom’s going to be proud to have that,” House said.
House scattered nine hits, struck out three and didn’t walk a batter. He was making the eighth appearance, and seventh start, of his career.
House gave up a run in the first inning, then held Kansas City scoreless over the next four innings. In the first, Lorenzo Cain led off the game with a double, stole third, and scored when Eric Hosmer grounded out to first.
“I just told myself that was all they were going to get. I was pretty sure one run was not going to beat me,” said House.
The Indians countered with a three-run third inning, the extended their advantage even further from the Royals with a three-run fifth inning in which they knocked Kansas City starter Jeremy Guthrie (5-7), the former Tribe first round pick (2002), out of the game.
House held the Royals scoreless from the second through the fifth innings, but in the sixth he gave up three consecutive singles to load the bases with one out. House was able to keep the damage to a minimum, however, allowing just one run as the Royals cut the Indians lead to 6-2 and House struck out Billy Butler with two runners on to end the inning.
It became 6-3 in the seventh when Danny Valencia led off the inning with a booming home run over the left field wall. But House retired the next two hitters then was pulled after throwing 87 pitches and gave way to reliever Bryan Shaw.
“He did a nice job of limiting the damage and threw the ball very well,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “Every time we got something going, he found a way to put an end to it.”
House, taken in the 16th round of the 2008 draft, began the season at Triple-A Columbus. He made five starts with the Indians from May 23-June 14 before being sent back to the minors. He was recalled a week ago and lost to Seattle on Sunday against Felix Hernandez, a game in which the Indians were held to one hit.
“He’s pitched well enough to have a win before now, but your first major-league win is always very special.” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. “He’s shown he can get major league hitters out. He’s got a lot of poise out there. He’s come a long way in one year. His poise is excellent, he competes, and he keeps the ball down.”