Garrett Crochet proved he's a big-game pitcher for Red Sox with Game 1 gem vs. Yankees
It wasn't October just yet, but Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet showed he's built for the MLB playoffs Tuesday night in the Bronx. Crochet was absolutely filthy in his first-ever postseason start, as he held the Yankees to just one run and struck out 11 over 7.2 innings in Boston's 3-1 Game 1 victory in the AL Wild Card round.
Crochet's outing was the stuff of legends in an instant classic in the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry. The big lefty gave up a solo homer in the second inning, one of just four hits he surrendered on the night, and then retired 17 batters in a row. He threw a career-high 117 pitches, and appeared to get stronger with every pitch.
"Amazing," manager Alex Cora said of Crochet's outing.
"You could see it in his eyes before the game he wanted it bad," third baseman Alex Bregman said of Boston's ace. "It was a performance big-time pitchers make. That's who he is, and I'm super proud of him."
Crochet's final pitch of the night was his fastest, as he got Austin Wells looking at a 100 mph fastball for the second out of the bottom of the eighth. Crochet kept 47,000 fans at Yankee Stadium from having much to cheer about in Game 1.
"In this environment, it's hard to feel any sort of fatigue except for mental," Crochet said of his high pitch count. "There was a lot at stake so it kept me locked in."
After a 1-2-3 seventh inning from Crochet where he only needed six pitches to retire the side, Cora had no problem sending his ace back out for the eighth, even though he was at 100 pitches. Crochet got Trent Grisham swinging for his 10th strikeout and 17th straight out to start the inning, before Anthony Volpe singled up the middle just under his glove.
But Crochet locked in and completely froze Wells for his final punchout (and fastest pitch) of the night. He left after 7.2 masterful innings of work and lifted his team to a Game 1 victory.
"With [Cora] leaving me in there I wanted to honor that decision. I feel like he's put a lot of faith in me this year and I haven't let him down yet. I wanted to make damn sure this wasn't going to be the first time," said Crochet.
Garrett Crochet retired 17 straight Yankees
Believe it or not, the first two Yankees batters reached against Crochet, with Paul Goldschmidt and Aaron Judge ripping singles to left in the bottom of the first. But Crochet got Cody Bellinger swinging at a 99 mph fastball for the first out, and then got out of the jam when Giancarlo Stanton grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.
The Yankees got their only run off Crochet in the bottom of the inning when Anthony Volpe took a 97 mph fastball and sent it 382 feet into the right field stands to put New York on top, 1-0.
The solo homer didn't rattle Crochet. Nothing rattled Crochet in Game 1.
"So what, next pitch," he said of Volpe's solo shot. "The last thing I want is the eight guys playing behind me to think I'm going to give into the moment. It was a lot of determination to keep the game where it was and let us claw back into it."
Crochet proceeded to put down the next 17 batters, and he made it look easy at times. He needed 20 pitches in the third but added two punchouts to his total. He fanned Giancarlo Stanton in the fourth, and then struck out the side in the fifth. Crochet got Aaron Judge swinging to end a seven-pitch at-bat and the bottom of the sixth inning. He pretty much threw his entire arsenal at the Yankees slugger in that battle, and retired him on an 88 mph cutter.
After the Boston offense gave him a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh, Crochet needed just six pitches to get a flyout and two groundouts in the bottom of the frame. He then struck out Grisham to start the eighth for his 17th straight out.
"I wanted to do everything I could to give my team a fighting chance to get back into it. Maybe I was a little more aggressive in the zone, but I think that was me finding my rhythm as the game went on," Crochet said of his streak.
Crochet was lifted after he got Wells looking. The Red Sox turned to All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman, who got the final four outs of the game despite loading the bases to start the bottom of the ninth.
Crochet told Cora he'd only make one call to the bullpen
The Red Sox have known Crochet possesses that bulldog mentality you want from an ace since he was acquired from the White Sox last December. He cemented himself as a true ace and one of the best starters in baseball every time he toed the rubber during the regular saeson, and he was no different in his first-ever postseason start.
Crochet never lacks confidence in himself, and Cora knew his ace was locked in Monday after a funny exchange in the Boston dugout.
"We were joking around; for some reason our front office was in the bullpen and he was in the dugout with me. I told him we should call the bullpen. He told me, 'Tomorrow, you're going to make one call. Straight to Chappy,'" Cora relayed.
Spoken like a true ace.
"Since Day 1, he's acted like that," said Cora.
"Just being arrogant, to be honest," Crochet said of his proclamation to Cora. "I didn't expect that to be the case. But when he sent me back out there [for the eighth], I was determined to keep it that way."
A bit cocky? Perhaps. But it's the mindset you want out of an ace.
On Tuesday, Crochet proved he's one of those pitches who can walk the walk with an absolute gem against the Yankees in the first postseason start of his career.