The Boston Red Sox season ended Wednesday night in the Bronx. A 9-2 defeat at the hands of the New York Yankees completed a two-game sweep in the Wild Card Series. The bullpen collapsed in the sixth inning. The lineup never gave the pitching staff enough to work with. The ending was swift and definitive.
For most of the roster, the loss was painful. For Garrett Crochet, it was something deeper.
The left-hander entered in the sixth inning of an elimination game for his first appearance since April 25. He faced four batters, recorded zero outs, and was charged with four runs. Five months of rehab ended in a matter of minutes.
Crochet on How It Ended
The Red Sox star stood in front of reporters afterward and did not hide what he was feeling.
“To think that I busted my ass the past five months, and for it to end that way, on a personal note, it’s tough,” Crochet said. “Just wanted to come back and contribute to the team as best I could, and I let them down.”
He paused.
“I feel healthy, but I feel like shit,” Crochet said.
Crochet was not making excuses. He was not blaming the circumstances. He was processing the reality that the moment he had worked five months to reach had gone as badly as it possibly could.
The inning unraveled quickly. Crochet struck out Spencer Jones, but the ball got away from catcher Adley Rutschman and Jones reached on the dropped third strike. A stolen base and a throwing error put Jones at third. George Lombard Jr. singled him home. Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled. Trent Grisham bunted for a hit. The bases were loaded with nobody out and Crochet was done.
Manager Chad Tracy pulled him. Garrett Whitlock came in and gave up a sacrifice fly, a run-scoring groundout, and a three-run homer to Cody Bellinger. The game was over.
What Crochet Said About the Bigger Picture
“For our season to end the same way that it did last year, against obviously what the media would probably portray and what a lot of the guys in this clubhouse would say is our biggest rival, it sucks,” Crochet said.
The Red Sox have now lost four consecutive postseason games to the Yankees across two seasons. Last year’s exit came in three games. This year it took only two.
Crochet acknowledged the finality of it while holding onto something broader.
“We’re maybe a little undeserving of the fate that we got,” Crochet said. “But sometimes that’s the game.”
Final Word for the Red Sox
Garrett Crochet spent five months trying to get back to this moment.
The call came. The moment arrived. It lasted four batters.
He did not make excuses. Crochet said he let the team down. Despite feeling healthy, he said he felt like shit.
Sometimes the game does not care how hard you worked to get there. Wednesday was one of those nights. Crochet will look to bounce back next season for the Red Sox.
Red Sox Garrett Crochet Makes Painful Admission After Yankees Sweep