When the Boston Red Sox acquired Tennessee baseball alum Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox last December, they believed he could be an ace in their rotation. On Tuesday, he proved them right once again, just as he had done all year long.
Crochet threw 7.2 electrifying innings, striking out 11 batters and retiring 18 of the last 19 hitters he faced in Boston’s game one win in its Wild Card series against the New York Yankees. He allowed a home run, and four total hits on 117 pitches.
He exited the game with the 2-1 lead, which the Red Sox bullpen preserved en route to a 3-1 win over the Yankees. Crochet’s final pitch of the night was his fastest at 100.2 mph.
This was not his first career postseason appearance, as Crochet had pitched in four prior October outings, but all of them came out of the bullpen for the White Sox. Yet his stat line indicated he had the right mold for the postseason: he struck out six across three scoreless innings in those games.
It mattered little what he threw to the Yankees all night. His fastball blew hitters away. His cutter tilted like a seesaw. The breaking ball perplexed the opposition. Bewildered, confused and overpowered, the Yankees were. Such is the case when a superstar is at the height of his powers, and Crochet could not have delivered any better.
After Boston surrendered top prospects to acquire his services from the White Sox, lead executive Craig Breslow gave him a six-year, $170 million extension after just one start for his new team. Crochet, in turn, rewarded their faith by delivering the best season of his career. His 2.59 ERA was a career-best. So were the 205 and a third innings he threw and the 255 strikeouts he piled up.
Certainly, if not for the superhuman season of Tarik Skubal, Crochet would be in line for the American League Cy Young. In any case, the former Vol cemented himself among the game’s most feared pitchers, and he demonstrated his prowess all night in Yankee Stadium.
The White Sox received a haul befitting of an ace. The Red Sox handed out a contract befitting an ace. On Tuesday, Crochet delivered a playoff performance befitting an ace.