On Monday, during a challenging period for the Boston Red Sox, starting pitcher Garrett Crochet delivered a truly regrettable performance. The premier Red Sox hurler was removed from the mound after just 1 2/3 innings, having surrendered 11 runs (10 of which were earned) in the initial game of the series versus the Minnesota Twins.
This marked Crochet’s most dismal outing to date; an athlete who is a two-time All-Star and was considered for the 2025 AL Cy Young award following his 2.59 ERA last season. The 26-year-old pitcher could not register a single strikeout against any of the 18 opposing batters, yielding nine hits, issuing three walks, and giving up two home runs in the second inning before his departure.
Crochet’s total of earned runs stood at 10 rather than 11 because of a miscue by shortstop Trevor Story, whose glove came off as he attempted to field an RBI single hit by Brooks Lee. This particular RBI gave Minnesota a 4-0 advantage with two outs recorded in the first inning.
The subsequent damage was entirely attributable to Crochet’s pitching. The starting player conceded seven runs during the second inning, which encompassed two home runs originating from the lower portion of the Twins’ batting order — one initially by Victor Caratini, followed by Ryan Kreidler, who launched a ball into the upper deck with two outs.
Ultimately, the Twins secured a victory with a score of 13-4.
Such a performance was entirely atypical for Crochet, especially considering he entered Monday’s contest holding a 3.12 ERA. The nearest comparison to Monday’s disastrous beginning occurred in April 2024, when the hurler surrendered seven earned runs across three innings during his tenure with the Chicago White Sox.
Before this past Monday, Crochet had never previously given up more than seven earned runs over his professional career. He equaled that total once before, last September, through six innings facing the Cleveland Guardians, where he permitted six runs resulting from three home runs in the sixth frame. Boston ultimately triumphed in that particular match, 11-7.
Boston initially experienced the league’s poorest beginning before achieving a minor turnaround last week by securing a series victory against the St. Louis Cardinals. Nevertheless, Monday’s defeat bodes ill for a challenging series away at Minnesota, especially with the Red Sox slated to welcome their fierce adversaries, the New York Yankees, within the coming week.
