Boston Red Sox star pitcher Garrett Crochet kept the New York Yankees in check for almost the entire game on Friday. However, future Hall of Famer Aaron Judge made Boston’s night harder in the ninth inning.
The two-time AL MVP smashed a 443-foot solo homer over the Green Monster in Fenway Park to tie the contest at 1-1. The Red Sox won 2-1 in 10 innings, but it was a reminder that New York is never out of the game with him in the lineup. His 26 home runs were tied for the most in baseball entering Saturday night’s matchup between the two teams.
Crochet described what it’s like preparing to face Judge before games, via MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch.
Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (35).
Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
“It’s tough when you’re looking at scouting reports and the whole thing is bright red,” he admitted.
Judge entered Saturday leading baseball with a .390 batting average and a 1.265 OPS, and he was second with 60 RBI.
Meanwhile, Crochet is 6-4 with a 2.24 ERA across 15 starts. The 6-foot-6-inch, 245-pounder’s ERA ranked ninth in MLB entering Saturday, and he led the league with 117 strikeouts. His 1.03 WHIP also ranked 14th.
Crochet made the All-Star team with the Chicago White Sox last season, finishing 6-12 with a 3.58 ERA and 1.07 WHIP across 32 starts. The southpaw was a reliever before that, highlighted by his 2.82 ERA across 54 appearances in 2021.
After its series vs. New York, Boston will hit the road to face the Seattle Mariners, San Francisco Giants, and Los Angeles Angels.
