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Red Sox’ Garrett Crochet implodes on mound in worst start of MLB career
"I’m just going to flush it as best I can. Move on to the next one."
Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet had a night to forget in Minneapolis.
The southpaw didn’t even make it out of the second inning on Monday against the Twins, submitting the worst start of his big-league career at Target Field.
By the time Alex Cora came out of the dugout to take the ball out of Crochet’s hands, the 26-year-old left had only recorded five outs — and put Boston in an insurmountable 11-run deficit.
Crochet’s final line? 1.2 innings pitched, nine hits, 11 runs (10 earned), three walks, one hit batter, and zero strikeouts.
“I mean, I don’t really have anything to say,” Crochet said postgame after Boston’s 13-6 loss to the Twins. “I’m just going to flush it as best I can. Move on to the next one . . . I don’t really have one thing to point to.”
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As noted by Tim Healey of The Boston Globe, Monday marked the shortest start of Crochet’s career (excluding a four-pitch, rain-shortened start in 2024), as well as the most runs he’s allowed — surpassing his previous mark of seven.
Monday was also the first time that the lefty didn’t strike out a single batter in a start.
“The first [inning] was a little bit better. I got three outs. In the second, only got two,” Crochet said. “In the second, I think I felt like I was throwing the ball better and the results were worse.”
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Beyond the damage doled out by Minnesota’s bats, Crochet’s overall offerings on Monday raised plenty of eyebrows.
According to MassLive’s Chris Smith, Crochet only generated three swings and misses on his 55 total pitches. His 13 four-seam fastballs also registered an average velocity of 94.9 mph — down from his usual 96.1 miles per hour.
Despite that concerning dip in velocity, both Crochet and Cora noted postgame that he is not dealing with an injury.
“He’s healthy, so that’s the most important thing,” Cora said.
Crochet, who finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting in 2025, is now sporting a 7.58 ERA across four starts so far this season, with his ERA ballooning up from 3.12 before Monday’s start.
Crochet has been a model of consistency for the Red Sox since arriving via trade before the 2025 season — going 20-6 with a 2.63 ERA going into Monday’s game against the Twins.
“It’s tough to say [what went wrong],” Crochet said. “I mean, command as a whole has been spotty. I’ve gotten away with it a little early in the year, but tonight, they made me pay.
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It was a sour end to what was largely an encouraging run from Boston’s starting rotation — as that five-man unit sported a 1.52 ERA during their last trip through.
Now, it’s back to square one for Crochet and Boston as they look to get back on track Tuesday against Minnesota.
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