Cincinnati - Opening Day Magic for Garrett Crochet and the Red Sox
In a thrilling Opening Day showdown, Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet delivered a performance that had fans buzzing. On his second-to-last pitch, Crochet unleashed a blazing 98.3 mph fastball, loading the bases with a full count in a tense, scoreless game against the Cincinnati Reds.
This spring, Crochet had been working through some struggles, experimenting with new pitches and battling command issues. But on Thursday, he looked every bit the ace Boston fans hoped for. After a rocky start to the sixth inning, with a walk and two singles putting him in a jam, Crochet showed his mettle.
Facing Reds slugger Eugenio Suarez, Crochet dialed in a 90 mph cutter for a crucial strikeout. Then, with Spencer Steer at the plate, he ramped up the intensity, getting Steer to whiff on another cutter, escaping the inning without a scratch. His roar of triumph as he left the mound said it all.
Reflecting on the game, Crochet grinned, "What was I thinking? Probably unprintable.
I just felt good." This was a welcome change from a challenging spring, where he allowed 12 earned runs over 14 2/3 innings.
Despite a tough offseason, including the joys and challenges of new fatherhood, Crochet was determined to start the season strong.
And strong he was. Over six scoreless innings, Crochet allowed just three hits and two walks, striking out eight. He threw 80 pitches, 52 for strikes, looking like the Crochet who finished last season with a 2.59 ERA and 255 strikeouts.
"Spring is spring," said catcher Carlos Narvaez, whose sacrifice bunt in the seventh inning was pivotal. "He's a competitor. Once the season starts, he does what he does."
Crochet had been experimenting with a splitter during spring training but decided to shelve it for now. "I'm sticking with what worked," he said. "I felt like I was attacking with strengths and weaknesses when needed."
Manager Alex Cora had confidence in Crochet's ability to bounce back. "That's what spring training is for," Cora noted. "He was efficient, inducing weak contact."
Crochet's ability to hit 98 mph late in the game was a mental boost. The Red Sox had strategically adjusted his spring schedule, allowing him to refine his pitches in a minor-league setting, preparing him for a six-day rotation.
With his family in the stands, Crochet felt the support he missed during his big-league debut in 2020. "As far as Opening Days go, this has been the coolest one I’ve been a part of," he said, soaking in the energy from the Cincinnati crowd.
The Red Sox offense stepped up late in the game, with Marcelo Mayer delivering crucial hits. Mayer, brought in as a pinch-hitter, smacked a double in the seventh, setting the stage for Ceddanne Rafaela's go-ahead single. In the ninth, Mayer's single and Roman Anthony's savvy walk set up Trevor Story for a key insurance run.
Jarren Duran added another RBI single, while Justin Slaten, Garrett Whitlock, and Aroldis Chapman secured the win with solid relief pitching.
Despite some early missed opportunities and an error by Caleb Durbin, the Red Sox found a way to win, thanks to their ace's stellar performance and timely hitting.
"Very satisfying," Crochet said. "I came into today with a goal of just putting the team in a position to win.
It’s a lot simpler when you keep it as black and white as that. Did my job."