MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet was battered by the Minnesota Twins for 11 runs — 10 earned — and nine hits in 1 2/3 innings Monday night.
Crochet, a two-time All-Star who finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting last season, became the first Red Sox pitcher to allow 10 runs in less than two innings.
“My command, as a whole, has been spotty," Crochet said following a 13-6 loss. “I've gotten away with it a little this early in the
year, but tonight they made me pay. It was weak contact, hard contact, walks, hit by pitch — a little bit of everything."
The 26-year-old left-hander gave up four runs, three earned, in a 31-pitch first inning. Minnesota scored seven more in the second before Crochet was removed with two outs and Boston trailing 11-0.
“I don’t really have one thing to point to,” Crochet said. “I feel like I had a good approach. It was all pitch types that I felt like they were absolutely smothering."
Victor Caratini hit his first home run for the Twins in the second, a three-run drive off the facing of the third deck in left field. Light-hitting infielder Ryan Kreidler ended Crochet's night with his third career home run, a solo shot into the second deck in left.
“As a manager, it’s hard to watch. It was kind of like, OK, when are we going to take him out, you know?” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “At the same time, you still have to cover innings and keep the bullpen quote-unquote fresh, knowing that there’s two more games in the series.”
Crochet walked three, hit a batter with a pitch and failed to record a strikeout for the first time in 68 career starts. His season ERA climbed to 7.58 after he entered 2-1 with a 3.12 ERA through three starts.
“I'm just going to flush it as best I can and move on to the next one,” Crochet said. “They had a good approach.”
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