“Yeah, it feels good,” said Crochet to Browne postgame. “It’s kind of eerie in a way, but we’re playing really good ball right now. When you do that, that tends to happen on the road. So that’s cool.”
Crochet struck out 11 batters en route to passing the 200-strikeout threshold. He only allowed one earned run on five hits and a walk, improving his season record to 14-5. The Red Sox lineup also came to life, scoring those 12 runs on 17 hits and five walks. Shortstop Trevor Story and catcher Carlos Narváez hit home runs in the win as well. If Boston can finish off the sweep of New York on Sunday, they will be two and a half games clear at the top of the Wild Card standings.
Red Sox look to finish off Yankees with sweep Sunday
The Red Sox have won each matchup of this series with different types of offensive output. Thursday’s 6-3 win was a steady one for the lineup. Friday’s 1-0 win showed that they could eke out a tough win. On Saturday, the bats of Narváez, Story, right fielder Roman Anthony and recently-acquired first baseman Nathaniel Lowe led the way. Narváez spoke about Crochet’s mindset during the win to Browne.
“That’s why we call him Beast,” Narváez commented after the win. “We talked about this game three or four days ago. He’s always prepared, and you see the big dominance today, and I’m proud of him.”
If Crochet continues to embody this “Beast” persona, then he could be a very tough matchup in the postseason. The Red Sox are heating up at the right time of the season. A sweep of the Yankees would help further fuel their post for a return to October. Can Crochet, Narváez and their teammates finish the job under the lights of Sunday Night Baseball?
