The Boston Red Sox had lost two straight games going into Monday’s matchup with the Houston Astros. They handed the ball to Garrett Crochet, their ace, to try to stop the skid.
Unfortunately, Crochet didn’t pitch to his usual level. He only completed four innings and allowed five earned runs in the process. The Astros beat the Red Sox, 7-6.
Crochet cruised through the first two innings of the game. He retired six of the first seven hitters, with only Jose Altuve reaching base via a base hit. After that, things took a turn. He allowed three runs in the third inning after a series of hits, and another two in the fourth on a Chas McCormick home run.
The major problem for Crochet on Monday was his execution with two strikes. Crochet struck out five Astros, but had opportunities to put away many more.
The Red Sox starter threw 38 pitches with two strikes against Houston, and only five returned strikes. The 13.1% putaway rate was his second-lowest of the season, ahead of only his first start of the season. Crochet’s 25.9% putaway rate entering Monday was the fourth-best among pitchers with at least 500 two-strike pitches.
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Crochet was generally around the zone with two strikes on Monday. Astros hitters fouled off pitches at a high rate and battled deep in counts. Houston’s 21.3% strikeout rate against lefties is the seventh best in baseball.
Four innings was the shortest outing of Crochet’s season. It puts the Red Sox in a difficult spot with Dustin May and Walker Buehler scheduled to start the next two games. One of the two will need to provide some length to help keep the bullpen fresh.
Featured image via Dale Zanine/Imagn Images
