The Boston Red Sox are set to take on the New York Yankees on Thursday. The winner of Game 3 will head to Toronto on Saturday to take on the Blue Jays, while the loser’s season will come to an end.
Boston lost Game 2 after the bullpen allowed the decisive run to cross in the bottom of the eighth inning, giving New York the 4–3 win. Despite the loss, Red Sox manager Alex Cora was able to be aggressive with his bullpen early on because of the length Garrett Crochet provided in Game 1.
Crochet has been everything Boston could have asked for in his first year with the organization. The 26-year-old southpaw tossed a gem in his first career postseason start, allowing just one run through 7 2/3 innings with 11 strikeouts on Tuesday. Through 32 regular season starts this year, Crochet owned a 2.59 ERA, 18–5 record and led MLB in strikeouts with 255.
With an ALDS appearance on the line, Cora will once again have to be aggressive with matchups for Game 3 against the Yankees lineup full of left-handed hitters.
The Red Sox manager announced before Game 3 that every arm would be available. When asked if Crochet could make an appearance out of the bullpen, Cora did not rule it out and said, “I can’t say. We’ll see, but probably not.” (h/t The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey)
Although the Red Sox season may come to an end, it may be in Cora’s best interest to protect Crochet’s arm, as an appearance would be on just one day of rest after throwing 117 pitches.
Crochet will continue to operate as Boston’s ace for the foreseeable future after signing a six-year, 170 million dollar contract ahead of the 2025 season after being traded from the Chicago White Sox. Crochet responded with an incredible year and remains in contention for the AL Cy Young. He earned his second consecutive All-Star selection, proving he is one of the game’s top arms.
The Red Sox will send out rookie Connelly Early in just his fifth major-league appearance with the season on the line for Game 3, but everyone will be available for Cora if he has any trouble.
