Garrett Crochet Shines in Wild Card Opener, Yankees Struggle to Contain Red Sox Ace in Series Opener

Boston Red Sox' Ace Performance in Wild Card Game 1 Leaves Yankees Reeling
The Boston Red Sox dominated the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series, winning 3-1. Garrett Crochet stood out with a masterclass performance, allowing just one run on four hits over 7 2/3 innings.
"It was a performance that big-time pitchers make, and that's who he is," said Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman. Crochet threw a career-high 117 pitches, including a 100.2 mph heater that froze Austin Wells looking.
The Red Sox' platoon-heavy lineup also paid off, with Ceddanne Rafaela working an 11-pitch walk and Nick Sogard placing a double into the right field gap. Aroldis Chapman secured the win with four outs in the ninth inning, but it was a far cry from his dominant regular season performance.
The Red Sox' win has put them on the brink of moving onto the ALDS, and their confidence is soaring. "For some reason, our front office was in the bullpen checking something out there," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "Garrett was in the dugout with me. I told him, 'We should call the bullpen, and you can go out there and try to win the game.'"
Garrett Crochet's performance in Game 1 will go down in history as one of the greatest postseason starts in recent memory.