Garrett Crochet steps up for Boston with dominant performance against his former team

CHICAGO (AP) — The Boston Red Sox needed a lift, and Garrett Crochet delivered.

Against his former team, too.

Boston lost the first two games in its weekend series against the Chicago White Sox. But Crochet turned in a dominant performance on Sunday, leading the Red Sox to a 3-1 victory.

The 25-year-old Crochet was working on a no-hitter before Chase Meidroth singled with one out in the eighth inning. The ace left-hander was lifted after Meidroth’s grounder went into left field.

Crochet (2-1) struck out 11 and walked one in his first game against his first big league franchise. He threw 96 pitches, 65 for strikes.

“I felt like I kept a lot in reserves,” Crochet said. “I didn’t really start ramping it up in velo until later in the game. Yeah, I feel like I could have thrown five more innings.”

Crochet retired his first 15 batters before Brooks Baldwin reached on a leadoff walk in the sixth. He had an idea that manager Alex Cora would lift him after Meidroth’s hit.

Crochet threw 88 pitches in his first start of the season, 102 in his second and 107 in his third.

“I know my workload has been pretty high the past couple of outings but I felt good today, so I was ready to keep going,” he said. “But you know it was kind of ‘Once they get the first one, we’re going to do to the pen.'”

Crochet tipped his cap to Meidroth, who played in just his third major league game. Crochet was traded from the White Sox to the Red Sox in December for a package of four prospects that included Meidroth.

“That’s actually the spot where I wanted to throw the cutter, so I’m OK with it,” Crochet said. “I think I did fool him a little, but he’s a good bat-to-ball guy. He doesn’t swing and miss a ton.”

Boston had lost five of six.

“Get a ‘W’ and move on,” Cora said. “Balancing everything, I said ‘I’ll give you a shot until they get a hit.’

“Honestly, I’ve never been so happy for the opponent to get a hit.”

Selected 11th overall by Chicago in the 2020 amateur draft, Crochet made his big league debut that September. He had a 2.82 ERA in 2021 while striking out 65 in 54 1/3 innings, then had Tommy John surgery on April 5, 2022. He didn’t return to the major leagues until May 18, 2023.

Crochet went 6-12 with a 3.58 ERA in 32 starts last year for a White Sox team that went 41-121. He was picked for the AL All-Star team in his first season as a starter.

He received a $170 million, six-year contract from the Red Sox that was announced on April 1.

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