Garrett Crochet Feels This Responsibility With Red Sox Contract, Ace Status

BOSTON — Garrett Crochet is every inch of the ace the Red Sox needed.

He certainly pitched like one in his start Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles when he tossed eight shutout innings for the first time in his career to snap a four-game losing streak for the Red Sox. That came as great timing just days after he signed a six-year extension to pitch for Boston for the foreseeable future.

Crochet pitches like an ace and the Red Sox rewarded him like one. He recognizes the responsibility of heading a starting rotation and intends to embrace that in Boston.

“Results aside, it goes with how I carry myself to the field every day and to the clubhouse,” Crochet said in a press conference at Fenway Park to recognize the extension. “There’s a lot of leadership qualities that I feel like I embody that come along with a contract like that. The two go hand-in-hand for sure. I think just being myself, I think it comes naturally for me.”

Manager Alex Cora operated with an ace in the early years of his managerial tenure with Boston when Chris Sale dominated hitters ahead of a supporting cast of arms ranging from David Price to Nathan Eovaldi to Nick Pivetta and Tanner Houck. He knows how much a true No. 1 set the tone for the rotation and envisions Crochet doing the same.”

“It makes a difference,” Alex Cora said. “He pitched eight innings two days ago. The next day, he’s already scouting Toronto. That’s his next start. That was at 9 a.m. the next day. That’s how he operates. Good teammate. He impressed me in spring training, getting to know people, talking to us. He was one of the last guys in the house I had to kick out. If not, they were going to be there until two in the morning talking baseball. In the video room, he’s in there helping guys. In the weight room, he’s a beast. Excited. Hopefully, it becomes that every five days at Fenway, people show up to see the show. We feel very comfortable giving him the ball every five days.”

Crochet makes his Fenway Park debut in a Red Sox uniform Monday when Boston starts a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays.