The Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees on Tuesday night, putting themselves just one win away from moving on to the American League Division Series—and eliminating their biggest rivals in the process.
Boston’s Game 1 victory was fueled by a standout, potentially historic, performance from Garrett Crochet. Taking the mound for the Sox, Crochet delivered one of the most impressive playoff outings in recent memory. He pitched 7 2/3 innings, racked up 11 strikeouts, and gave up only one earned run on four hits. He threw 117 pitches—every one of them crucial. Although there was early concern after Anthony Volpe homered in the second inning, Crochet responded by retiring the next 17 batters in a row, keeping Boston in the game and buying the offense enough time to take the lead.
The Red Sox took Game 1
After the game, Yankees superstar Aaron Judge had some massive praise for Crochet and called him the best pitcher in baseball.
“He’s the best pitcher in the game,” Judge said. “He’s going to work all of his pitches. Work a little more offspeed in there early on. We got the Volpe homer but couldn’t really get guys on there or do much after that.”
That’s high praise—especially coming from one of the game’s best hitters. Even on a night when the Yankees struggled to generate offense, Aaron Judge still managed to go 2-for-4. But it was Garrett Crochet who stole the spotlight.
Now in just his second season as a full-time starter, Crochet is firmly in the conversation for the American League Cy Young Award, likely going head-to-head with Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. While it’s still uncertain who will take home the honor, the race between the two is tight.
Crochet’s numbers this season speak for themselves: an 18-5 record, a 2.59 ERA, and a dominant 255 strikeouts to just 46 walks over 205 1/3 innings. He’s emerged as the ace Boston was searching for—and on Tuesday night, he proved it on the biggest stage.
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