NEW YORK — Garrett Crochet struck out 11 in 7 2/3 outstanding innings and the Boston Red Sox went ahead after getting Max Fried out of the game and opened their American League wild-card series with a 3-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Tuesday.
Boston grabbed the advantage in the best-of-three series on Masataka Yoshida’s pinch-hit, two-run single in the seventh inning and Alex Bregman’s RBI double in the ninth. Carlos Rodon starts for the Yankees against Brayan Bello on Wednesday.
Crochet (1-0) allowed four hits in his first career postseason start after making four relief appearances for the Chicago White Sox in the 2020 and 2021 playoffs. He walked none and retired 17 straight at one point.
“Every time he takes the mound, we feel like we have a chance to win,” Bregman said of Crochet. “He competes his tail off. Thought that he was executing all of his pitches tonight to both sides of the plate.”
After getting the first two outs of the second inning, Crochet gave up a homer to Anthony Volpe that gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead.
Crochet did not allow another baserunner until permitting a single to center field by Volpe on his 109th pitch. The left-hander ended his night at a career-high 117 pitches by reaching 100 mph on a called third strike to Austin Wells, who thought he walked.
“Just determined to keep the (Yankees’) lead where it was at 1,” Crochet said. “Just wanted to do everything I could to give my team a fighting chance to get back into it. Nothing really changed mindset-wise. Maybe a little more aggressive in the zone. But I think that was just me finding my rhythm as the game went on.”
Boston manager Alex Cora said of Crochet, “For how great he was tonight, I tip my hat to the medical staff. They have done an amazing job with a guy that has never pitched 200 innings (before this year) … never pitched 7 2/3 in the playoffs.
“It is a total team effort. I made sure the training staff, you know, knew how I felt.”
Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman retired Jose Caballero on a fly ball to end the eighth after balking Volpe to second on a disengagement violation.
Chapman allowed three straight singles to load the bases in the ninth but escaped. He struck out Giancarlo Stanton, got Jazz Chisholm Jr. to fly out to right field and fanned Trent Grisham on a 101 mph fastball to notch his 11th career postseason save.
“We are talking about a stud pitcher,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Chapman. “I still thought we got some good swings off. I thought (Stanton) had a good swing on him where he just missed. Looked like a cutter or a sweeper in the middle of the zone.”
Crochet did not get the lead until Fried exited after firing 6 1/3 scoreless innings and 102 pitches.
Luke Weaver (0-1) entered and struggled to command his changeup, walking Ceddanne Rafaela to cap an 11-pitch encounter. Nick Sogard hit another changeup for a hustle double to right field, putting runners at second and third.
Yoshida batted for Rob Refsnyder and the Red Sox went ahead when he hit a fastball to center field for a base hit, scoring both runners.
In the top of the ninth, Bregman doubled to left field off David Bednar after Trevor Story singled and stole second.
Fried allowed four hits in his New York postseason debut. The left-hander struck out six and walked three, including a free pass to Carlos Narvaez in the sixth on a nine-pitch plate appearance that drove up his pitch count.
“They pressured him pretty good in the fourth, fifth, sixth,” Boone said of Fried. “Had a couple baserunners each inning. Felt like he kind of cruised through the first few and obviously ends up pitching great. Had to work pretty hard.”
–Larry Fleisher, Field Level Media
