Red Sox Garrett Crochet Sets Strikeout Record, Anchors Playoff Bid

Garrett Crochet has delivered a historic and dominant first season with the Boston Red Sox, finishing with 18 wins, a 2.59 ERA, and an MLB-leading 255 strikeouts over 205.1 innings. His standout performance includes an eight-inning shutout against the Toronto Blue Jays, where he surpassed Red Sox legend Pedro Martinez for the second-most strikeouts by a pitcher in their first Boston season, trailing only Chris Sale. Crochet's consistency and strikeout ability have solidified him as a top-tier starter and a strong contender for the AL Cy Young Award. Red Sox manager Alex Cora is managing Crochet's workload carefully, planning to start him on short rest in the crucial final regular-season games to keep him ready for a potential Wild Card Series Game 1 start. Despite lingering playoff uncertainties, Crochet's performances have positioned Boston well in the wild-card race and established him as the team's ace moving into the postseason. His breakout season has been a key factor in Boston's competitive position and postseason aspirations.