Game 1 of the AL Wild Card series is in the books with the Boston Red Sox taking an early lead over the New York Yankees.
The Red Sox’s 3-1 victory at Yankee Stadium was a tremendous achievement. But even more impressive was Garret Crochet’s performance. The Sox southpaw tossed 7.2 innings, allowing four hits and one earned run. He punched out 11 en route to a brilliant outing.
Aroldis Chapman locked the game down with 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, despite giving up three hits.
What makes the Red Sox’s Game 1 victory even more impressive is Crochet. At the outset of the season, Boston paid up to get Crochet from the Chicago White Sox. The ChiSox realized that Crochet had priced himself out of town, so they traded him while his price tag was high.
So, off to Boston he went. The Red Sox then extended Crochet with a six-year, $170 million deal. At the time, the extension raised some eyebrows. Everyone knew that Crochet had the stuff. But he wasn’t a proven commodity, especially in the postseason.
That changed on Tuesday night. Crochet’s outing proved he can rise to the occasion on the Majors’ biggest stage. He stepped into Yankee Stadium and channeled his inner Pedro Martinez to silence the Bronx Bombers’ bats.
The Red Sox are now in the driver’s seat with a 1-0 series lead. Meanwhile, the Yanks are left to figure out how to force a Game 3.
Red Sox Got What They Paid for in Crochet this Season
The questions surrounding Crochet’s megadeal back in April were justified. The year before, Crochet started 32 games, posting a 3.58 ERA for the lowly White Sox. His 6-12 record wasn’t a reflection of his lack of success. It was largely the result of the team around him.
But the 209 strikeouts in 146 innings were a tantalizing vision of the potential lying in Crochet’s left arm. So, the Red Sox pounced on the opportunity to bring him in. The BoSox paid a hefty price in terms of prospect capital sent to Chicago.
The price, however, seems like a pittance after what Crochet did this season. Playing for a much better ballclub, the 26-year-old went 18-5 with a 2.59 ERA and notched 255 Ks in 205.1 innings. Those numbers silenced any critics regarding the price the Red Sox paid for Crochet.
Now, Boston is halfway to a showdown with the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL Division Series. Depending on how the series with the Yankees goes, the Blue Jays could get a healthy dose of Crochet.
Crochet Pivotal to Boston’s Postseason Success
The Red Sox will need Garrett Crochet to bring his A-game, if and when he gets another postseason start.
Judging from his start on Tuesday night, the Red Sox’s only problem will be getting as many starts as possible from Crochet. While the temptation may be to ride Crochet, the Sox will need to be careful not to push him too hard.
That’s a bridge Boston will happily cross when they get to it. For now, the mission will be to knock off the Yankees.
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