Red Sox
“For me, he’s the American League Cy Young.”
Garrett Crochet has thrown several memorable starts in his first season with the Red Sox.
Saturday’s performance took the cake.
Crochet recorded his first career complete game in a shutout of the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park to extend the Red Sox’ winning streak to nine games. The 26-year-old southpaw tossed exactly 100 pitches and notched nine strikeouts, allowing three hits and no runs or walks in Boston’s 1-0 victory.
The stellar outing by Crochet marked his tenth win of the year and his second at home. He lowered his ERA to 2.23 (fifth-lowest in MLB) and his WHIP to 1.04, as well as reclaiming his place as MLB’s strikeout leader (160). Crochet’s 129 innings pitched are also the highest in baseball following his start.
This complete game is meaningful for him, especially because he came two outs shy of the feat last month against the New York Yankees. Aaron Judge cut his night short in the ninth inning when he took Crochet deep to tie the game at one run apiece on June 13.
“Very similar situations,” Crochet told NESN’s Jahmai Webster on the field immediately following the game. “Just really wanted to finish it out. Bullpen’s been working really hard. Just a lot of determination. Defense played a great game, (Carlos Narvaez) was pushing the right buttons all game. Couldn’t ask to do it for a better group of guys.”
The Red Sox ace retired the last 11 batters he faced Saturday to keep the club’s winning streak alive. Boston’s nine-game winning streak is its longest since April 2021.
The offense was quiet outside of Narvaez’s RBI single in the fourth inning. It didn’t need to be any louder than that with Crochet on the mound.
Solid defense paved the way for the Red Sox to win, too. They’ve committed the second-most errors in the league with 77, but that didn’t matter in this one.
First baseman Abraham Toro saved the game for Boston with his glove and arm in the sixth inning. With runners on first and third base and one out, Rays No. 2 hitter Ha-Seong Kim placed a bunt down the first base line to Toro. Toro flawlessly fielded the ball and threw it home to Narvaez to get the lead runner out.
Watch the critical defensive play:
Crochet praised his eight teammates on the diamond for their efforts in the win.
“They work their tail off, that’s for sure,” Crochet said. “They’re a huge reason that we were able to hold onto that lead. Great defense all around today.”
Toro’s smooth play led the way for Crochet to be nails on the mound the rest of the way.
Given Crochet’s unfamiliarity with tossing complete games, the southpaw told reporters after the game he wasn’t sure what to do after the final out.
“I didn’t even know what to do when the third out was recorded. I was like, ‘Where do I stand?’” Crochet said. “It’s incredibly satisfying. Toro made a great play, Trevor [Story] made a great play, Narvi was good on the buttons all day. Between-inning dialogue was really great. Felt really good. Nice to keep the streak going, too.”
In the eighth inning, closer Aroldis Chapman briefly warmed up in the bullpen as Crochet continued to deal. In Crochet’s mind, though, there wasn’t a doubt that he would go back out for the ninth.
“I did the best I could until the sixth inning, not looking at my pitch count. From then on, I was looking at it every inning. I knew at least from an optics standpoint, it would probably be acceptable if I went out,” he said. “When I was coming in the dugout, there was no conversation. I just kind of had my head down and went right into the tunnel. Thankful for AC (Alex Cora) for having trust in me to get the job done.”
Crochet is the first Red Sox pitcher to record a shutout in a 1-0 game at home since Pedro Martinez in 2000. He’s also the fourth Red Sox since 2000 to record a shutout in a 1-0 victory since Curt Schilling in 2007.
Even more notably, Crochet is the third pitcher in Red Sox history to record a complete game shutout in a 1-0 win with three or fewer hits allowed, 0 walks issued, and at least nine strikeouts (Tex Hughson in 1946 and Cy Young in 1905).
Before Saturday’s game, Cora sang Crochet’s praises. He applauded the hurler for stepping up as a leader among Boston’s pitchers.
“[He’s] the leader, to be honest with you,” Cora said (via The Boston Globe‘s Tim Healey). “Every five days, we know what he’s going to be on the mound. But what he’s doing in the clubhouse, you see him in the dugout, he’s always into games, talking to pitchers.”
“He’s very similar to Alex [Bregman] in that sense,” Cora continued. “With the contract, stuff comes with the territory. You have to be that guy. We haven’t had a guy like that in a while. We’ve had some good ones throughout the years. Now that he is here, he is on the Red Sox, he’s doing an amazing job.”
After Saturday’s performance, Cora doubled down on Crochet’s impact on the rest of the team on and off the field.
“The day we traded for him in Dallas, I was like, ‘Okay, cool. This is gonna be good for us,’” Cora said. “We were talking about adding an arm like that. Obviously, he’s still learning. This is kind of like the first full go for him.
“Just talking to him early on, when I saw him in spring training, the way he conducted himself in the clubhouse and the way he helped his teammates and all that, I was like, ‘He’s a true ace. He’s a leader.’ Obviously, since day one in Texas all the way until this game, he’s been very consistent. … Tomorrow, he’ll start getting ready for the Cubs (the team Crochet will face in his next start after the All-Star break). He turns the page right away. That’s what the good ones do.”
After the game, Saturday’s defensive savior, Toro, made a declaration following Crochet’s first half.
“For me, he’s the American League Cy Young,” Toro said.
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