Garrett Crochet delivered six shutout innings against the Orioles, helping the Red Sox secure a 17-1 victory. This performance followed two poor starts, restoring confidence in the young ace.
Key points
Garrett Crochet pitched six shutout innings against the Orioles
Crochet faced struggles in his previous two starts
The Red Sox won the game 17-1
Crochet finished second in the 2025 AL Cy Young Award race
The Red Sox had a strong offensive performance in the ninth inning
Garrett CrochetBoston Red SoxBaltimore OriolesMinnesota Twins
BALTIMORE â Two poor starts shouldnât be enough to send Garrett Crochet into a panic.
Crochet, the Boston Red Sox ace, didnât finish second to Tarik Skubal in the 2025 American League Cy Young Award race without self-confidence, without a brazen belief that he can always challenge elite hitters with his finest stuff.
Yet after the worst two-start sequence of his young career, including an 11-run, nine-hit, three-walk, zero-strikeout debacle against the Minnesota Twins, even a 6-6 lefty with an array of pitches that seemingly disappear can drift into a state of self-doubt.
That valley was a little easier to analyze after his effort Saturday, April 25 at Camden Yards, facing an Orioles lineup that clubbed six homers the night before. On this day, they were rendered impotent by Crochet, who tossed six shutout innings of one-hit ball.
The Red Sox eventually scored 10 ninth-inning runs, four off a position player, to turn a tight game into a 17-1 rout of Baltimore. The offensive uprising was a boon for a club that entered last in the majors in OPS and home runs.
Yet the bigger sigh of relief regarded their ace left-hander, who readily admitted he was breathing easier.
The Athletics Lawrence Butler is tagged out by Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas as he tires to extend his double into a triple during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park on April 18, 2026.
Cleveland Guardians mascot Slider interacts with fans during game against the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field on April 17, 2026.
Q&A
What were Garrett Crochet's recent performance issues before the Orioles game?
Garrett Crochet had the worst two-start sequence of his career, including an 11-run outing against the Minnesota Twins.
How did the Red Sox perform offensively in the game against the Orioles?
The Red Sox scored 10 runs in the ninth inning, with four runs coming off a position player, leading to a 17-1 victory.
What impact did Garrett Crochet's performance have on his confidence?
Crochet's six shutout innings against the Orioles helped restore his confidence after struggling in his previous starts.
Who did Garrett Crochet compete against for the 2025 American League Cy Young Award?
Garrett Crochet finished second to Tarik Skubal in the 2025 American League Cy Young Award race.
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
The Athletics Lawrence Butler is tagged out by Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas as he tires to extend his double into a triple during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park on April 18, 2026.
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
The Athletics Lawrence Butler is tagged out by Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas as he tires to extend his double into a triple during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park on April 18, 2026.
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
Cleveland Guardians mascot Slider interacts with fans during game against the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field on April 17, 2026.
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
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Ballpark vibes, big plays and wild celebrations during 2026 MLB season
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Two F-35C planes from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron NINE Detachment Edwards Air Force Base perform a flyover before the Opening Day game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on March 26, 2026.
âLike you wouldnât believe,â he said after improving to 3-3 and lowering his ERA from 7.88 to 6.30. âI know I donât suck. But when youâre not seeing results itâs, man, itâs not fun.
âAfter Minnesota, I couldnât even be upset. It just really was not a good time being on the mound. But against a division opponent, a potent lineup through and through, to be able to go shutdown inning multiple times, that felt really good.â
Hard to imagine looking at the final score, but Crochet faced several moments that tested his mettle. Staked to a 3-0 lead in the second, he yielded a double and walk in the bottom of the third to bring the tying run â Gunnar Henderson, with eight home runs on the season â to the plate, prompting a visit from pitching coach Andrew Bailey.
Crochet entered the start determined to throw his four-seam fastball until the Orioles proved they could hit it. But he caught Henderson looking at a sweeper, a pitch catcher Connor Wong encouraged him to dust off.
âThat was pretty satisfying. I was like man, my sweeper has been sucking lately,â says Crochet.
Indeed, he increased the sweeper usage from 13% entering the game to 20%, recording three of his six strikeouts on the offering.
The other three punchouts came on the four-seamer â and that was very much by design.
âWeâve been low-key searching for the past three starts now: What is it that I need to do to game plan for teams?â says Crochet. âConnor went into today with, no oneâs hit your four all season so we were just going to throw it until they did.
âThat worked out pretty well for us.â
To the point that even as Coby Mayo dinged him for a double and a 104.2 mph lineout to center, Crochet decided to bring it with conviction until the opponent proved otherwise.
They never did.
âTheyâve got guys who can hit the four, too, but make âem prove it,â he says. âIn the past, Iâd go away from it without anyone proving it.
âTonight it was just, show me. And if you show me, I might not believe you.â
The outing doesnât necessarily mean itâs all good for Crochet, who entered the game with several concerning peripherals. The whiff rate on his four-seamer and cutter were both significantly down from 2025 (30.5% and 24.3% respectively) to 2026 (24.2%, 17.6%). His walk rate was also inflated, from 5.7% to 7.8% and he issued two more free passes Saturday.
This time, the whiff rate on his fastball was back up to 29%. Manager Alex Cora said both before and after the game that while Crochet gave up five earned runs â four on two late homers â to the Detroit Tigers, he did not consider that a clunker.
Perhaps heâs correct, and Crochet is rounding into his stuff as April turns to May.
âHeâs trending in the right direction,â Cora said afterward. âMinnesota feels like a long time ago.â
The Red Sox, now 10-17, certainly hope so. They wonât go anywhere this year without Crochet, and now their ace looks like heâs back in the driverâs seat after a brush with mediocrity.
âI wonât say itâs not being afraid to fail,â he says of what he took from his two-start dip. âBecause Iâm terrified to fail. I think most guys in the big leagues are. And thatâs what drives you to continue to work and push for success.
âItâs just being OK with it and knowing how to fail and how to bounce back.â
