Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet stifles Yankees, saving his best for last in first playoff start

NEW YORK — He owned the heartbeat of Yankee Stadium. Flipped emotions on command. Suffocated a New York lineup that still hasn't solved the left-hander in five starts dating back to the regular season.

The Yankees thought they cracked Garrett Crochet when Anthony Volpe roped a solo shot to right in the second inning 

But Crochet was too willing in Game 1 of this Wild Card Series, too imposing, too dominant for it to matter. In this one, in a place that can swallow even the most prepared pitchers, the Red Sox ace didn't flinch. He dazzled for 7 ⅓ innings. Powered through 117 pitches.

Never rattled. Never uncertain.

Each three-ball count turned into a win. No walks. Weak contact or another strikeout. Eleven in all.

At each turn when his team couldn't solve Max Fried, who made a valiant start in his own right, Crochet put -- and kept -- the club on his shoulders.

Jarren Duran struck out with runners on second and third in the fourth. That didn't faze Crochet. He came back and set the Yankees down in order.

In the fifth, Rob Refsnyder drew a two-out walk off Fried. Trevor Story followed with a single. But Alex Bregman grounded to third to end the threat.

Crochet didn't blink. He struck out the side in the bottom half.

In the top of the sixth, Carlos Narvaez worked a one-out walk. Nate Eaton bounced into a double play to kill the rally. Crochet stayed locked in, finishing the inning by retiring Aaron Judge. It was still 1-0 Yankees.

"I was just determined to keep the lead where it was," Crochet said. "I just wanted to do everything I could to get my team a fighting chance to get back into it. Nothing really changed mindset wise, maybe a little bit more aggressive in the zone. But I think that was just me fighting my rhythm as the game went on." 

Seventeen straight. That's how many Crochet retired after the Volpe homer in the second. A stamp on his night. A reminder to everyone in the Stadium, and those watching at home, why the Red Sox went and got him last winter.

Nobody knew if he'd last. He became a starter in 2024 with the White Sox. But the ceiling was too high to ignore. The eye test. The numbers. All of it pointed to an ace.

And that's what he's been. The stopper. The builder. The one who keeps getting better.

This wasn't just a performance. It was an announcement. His first playoff start, against a rival that measures greatness. Deliverance, yes. But more than that -- affirmation.

Trades when there's still some unseen can be a risk. But the Red Sox got this one right.

"He does something every time he takes the mound," said Bregman, who knocked in a crucial insurance run in the ninth inning. "I always feel like we have a really big chance to win with him. He competes his tail off. We love going out there and playing defense behind him, just the performance that big-time pitchers make." 

The Red Sox finally paid back their ace in the seventh. Two runs after Fried's exit. A lead at last thanks to Masataka Yoshida's RBI single.

And as Crochet's pitch count climbed, so did his edge. He only got stronger. More imposing. The Yankees knew they had to answer. You could see it in their swings -- rushed hacks, lazy pops, weak grounders. Grips tightening with every pitch. 

Crochet sensed it. The tension. The desperation. He pressed harder, locked in, refusing to give the game back. This was his to carry. His team's to claim. He needed just six pitches that inning. 

"Look, he's really good," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "I thought we had some decent at-bats. We weren't able to pressure them enough and put enough traffic against him to put him in real trouble." 

Crochet isn't just doing what is asked. He's doing what's required. The only way for this team to make it out of this series, Crochet had to be brilliant. He answered. The Red Sox rotation has hit a wall. Brayan Bello, though he pitches well at Yankee Stadium, had a rough September, posting a 5.40 ERA in five starts. Lucas Giolito is out for the postseason with an elbow issue. A rookie in Connelly Early will likely take his spot if Game 3 is necessary. It could be a situation where he's the bulk starter. Then all hands on deck. 

The Yankees believe they'll bounce back. Aaron Boone even smirked. Said his team will be ready tomorrow. Has to be. Otherwise their season ends. Another year undone by a bullpen that coughed up one more game.

Crochet is the opposite. He's the stabilizer. The franchise shifter. An ace built to rattle opponents.

Time will tell where this ride leads. When his arm wears. When the stuff fades and outs get harder. But right now, he looks like the answer.

So, even on pitch No. 117, he reached 100.2 mph -- his hardest.

The Red Sox got this one right.