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Boston Red Sox starter Tanner Houck made the wrong kind of franchise history on Monday night, surrendering 11 runs (all earned) against the Detroit Tigers (GameTracker). In the process, Houck became the first Red Sox pitcher since Major League Baseball was integrated to surrender 10 or more earned runs in multiple appearances during a single season.

Houck, who was pulled during the third inning, yielded those runs on nine hits and three walks. Most of the damage (nine runs) came during the third inning, a frame that saw him give up a little league home run to Riley Greene (credit an error by right fielder Wilyer Abreu) and a more traditional home run to Trey Sweeney. Both were of the three-run variety.

Houck's first meltdown start occurred on April 14, when he gave up 12 runs (11 earned) over the span of 2 ⅓ innings against the Tampa Bay Rays. It was the worst outing by a Red Sox pitcher in more than 60 years. He nearly topped that Monday. 

While Houck is the first Red Sox pitcher to allow this many runs across two starts since integration, he's the third to do it all-time. The other two? Win Kellum (back in 1901) and Wes Ferrell (1936). Kellum made just six total appearances for the Red Sox; Ferrell, meanwhile, would win 20 games (and notch nearly seven Wins Above Replacement) that season despite those disastrous outings.

Monday's start represented the latest stretch of turbulence this season for Houck. Over the course of his first eight starts, he compiled a 6.10 ERA (69 ERA+) and a 2.29 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He had fared better since that aforementioned Rays start, notching a 3.57 ERA in his subsequent four appearances. Obviously that number will look considerably worse come Tuesday morning.

The Red Sox entered Monday's game with a 22-20 record on the year, putting them in second place in the American League East.