Garrett Crochet Made Iconic Remark To Alex Cora Before Game 1

Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet might really be everything you want in an ace. Crochet has the physical profile, the elite velocity, and the nasty secondary pitch that usually come with an ace, but most importantly, he has the killer mindset required to raise his level during the most important games.

Red Sox fans learned that last detail about Crochet on Tuesday night as the left-hander delivered a gem for Boston in a critical Game 1 ALWC win over the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

 In seven 2/3 innings (117 pitches), Crochet allowed just four hits, one run (a solo shot to Anthony Volpe), and tallied 11 strikeouts without walking a single Yankee. It was precisely the kind of marquee, playoff performance the Red Sox envisioned back in December when they traded for Crochet.

Red Sox fans have become acquainted with Crochet’s dominant arm throughout 2025, but they are just now starting to realize the even more special mental makeup that goes into Crochet’s greatness. It’s an inner fire that reared its head on Tuesday night in the Bronx, and a related, postgame anecdote about Crochet from Red Sox manager Alex Cora will give Boston fans goosebumps.

“He was in the dugout with me (yesterday),” Cora said of Crochet. “And he was like, ‘Tomorrow, you’re gonna make one call to the bullpen’. I said, ‘Maybe two’. And he’s like, ‘No, no, no … one. It’s gonna be straight to Chappy.’”

Crochet ended up fulfilling that prophecy, and Aroldis Chapman did his job, too, escaping a nerve-racking ninth to deliver a huge victory for Boston in its first playoff game since 2021.

Now, the Red Sox are one win away from an ALDS berth, but they’ll have to get it done without their ace. Brayan Bello will be on the mound in Game 2 on Wednesday, and Connelly Early is expected by many to take the ball in Game 3, though nothing has been announced in that regard.