Why Red Sox Ribbed Garrett Whitlock After Unbelievable Catch

Garrett Whitlock on Wednesday made one of the best catches ever by a Red Sox pitcher, but he didn’t receive credit for it.

Whitlock showed off his athleticism in the seventh inning of Boston’s eventual extra-innings win in Houston. Alex Bregman floated a foul pop-up near the Astros’ on-deck circle, and Whitlock darted all the way over from the Minute Maid Park mound to make a terrific sliding catch.

But when you check the scorebook for the Red Sox-Astros thriller, you’ll see no reference to Whitlock’s grab. That’s because Bregman was ruled out for interference when he made contact with Boston catcher Connor Wong.

As a result, Whitlock’s Red Sox teammates made sure to give the right-hander a hard time.

“The Whitlock play, they (his teammates) are joking with him because supposedly it doesn’t count,” Alex Cora told reporters, per MassLive. “So all that effort for nothing.”

Whitlock will be credited for the two scoreless innings he threw Wednesday night, which were much-needed after starter Chris Sale struggled a bit over five frames. Boston’s collective relief effort was a major reason why the club was able to get back into the win column.

The Red Sox now will try to earn a series split with the reigning World Series champions. NESN’s full coverage of Thursday’s finale begins at 1 p.m. ET.