Garrett Crochet Is Chasing Redemption After a Career-Worst Meltdown and the Tigers Are Ready to Pounce

Garrett Crochet had the worst outing of his career last Monday, and now he's got to pitch through the ghost of it. The Red Sox ace (2-2, 7.58 ERA) takes the mound Sunday afternoon against Detroit in the second game of their four-game home series, with the teams tied at a game apiece. First pitch is set for 4:35 p.m. after a three-hour delay due to rain in the Boston forecast.

Last week at Minnesota, Crochet imploded. He gave up 11 runs (10 earned) on nine hits, three walks, and a hit by pitch in just 1 2/3 innings in a 13-6 loss to the Twins. His ERA more than doubled from 3.12. The guy who led the entire majors with 255 strikeouts in 205 1/3 innings last season? He didn't strike out a single batter Monday. Over his eight starts before that disaster, Crochet had allowed just 13 runs. In 2025, he only gave up more than five runs and pitched less than five innings once all year. That's the kind of consistency you build a postseason rotation around.

"Trying to look at it like I would any start. It's tough to say following the last one, but that's the only way to separate," Crochet said. He's going to need that mental toughness Sunday because Boston's offense isn't giving him much runway. The Red Sox got shellacked 4-1 on Saturday against Cy Young back-to-back winner Tarik Skubal. They struck out 10 times, went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, and have now scored one or fewer runs over back-to-back games on five or fewer hits. Red Sox manager Alex Cora knows the situation is tight. "You have to chip away with aces. You have to make sure when you have your chances to cash in, get it close enough," he said. First baseman Willson Contreras added, "A 4-0 game in the big leagues, we can turn it around anytime. We couldn't find the way."

Detroit isn't coming in weak. The Tigers won seven of their last eight games and snapped a nine-game road losing streak Saturday. Kerry Carpenter drew a bases-loaded walk in the first inning to put Detroit up 1-0, then added a solo home run in the fourth. Kevin McGonigle, Detroit's touted infield prospect, had a multi-hit day with an RBI single in the fourth and a run scored in the first. Detroit's Framber Valdez (1-1, 3.75 ERA) gets the ball Sunday for the Tigers. The left-hander just threw seven innings Tuesday against Kansas City, allowing one run on four hits in a 2-1 win. He's 3-2 with a 3.10 ERA in six career appearances (four starts) against Boston.

This is a massive bounce-back moment for Crochet. He's 0-1 with a 1.80 ERA in nine career appearances against Detroit, including two starts in 2024. One great performance Sunday and he's back. One more stumble and suddenly the narrative shifts. First pitch at 4:35 p.m.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.