BRONX, NY — Perhaps Tuesday night’s result in the Bronx for Game 1 of the 2025 American League Wild Card Series between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees was just how manager Alex Cora drew it up.
His All-Star left-hander Garrett Crochet, a former White Sox, acquired by Boston over the offseason and paid to be the franchise’s ace shortly after, mowing down their arch-rival at Yankee Stadium across 7.2 innings of one-run ball with 11 strikeouts. Simply dominant.
Garrett Crochet gave Alex Cora and the Red Sox everything he had Tuesday night, throwing 117 pitches to lead Boston to a Game 1 win in the 2025 AL Wild Card Series – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
All while making his postseason debut too, though, it came on 117 pitches, a new career-high, which may have surprised some on the outside, but at no point, his teammates and coaches in the dugout.
“He is a guy that wants it bad to be honest with you, he was in a situation last year that he was learning how to become a starter,” Cora said of Crochet following Boston’s 3-1 Game 1 AL Wild Card win.
“He got traded to become the ace. He got paid like an ace, and since day one he has acted like that.”
Garrett Crochet, marking a new career-high in pitches thrown for an outing Tuesday night, became the first Red Sox pitcher in franchise history to go 117 or more pitches in a postseason game since Jon Lester in Game 1 of the 2008 ALDS – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Third baseman Alex Bregman, contributing to the victory with two hits, including a ninth-inning double to tack on a key insurance run, noted, “You could see it in his eyes before the game that he (Crochet) wanted it bad. And every time he takes the mound, we love going out there and playing defense behind him. Just a performance that big-time pitchers make, and that’s who he is and I am super proud of him.”
From one “big-time pitcher” to another, Cora opted to remove Crochet for flamethrowing Cuban closer Aroldis Chapman, yet another elite-caliber southpaw, in the bottom of the eighth inning with a runner on, two down and the score 2-1, Boston.
Alex Cora calls to the bullpen for Aroldis Chapman in the bottom of the eighth inning with a 2-1 lead – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Arguably the most difficult lane for an opponent to navigate through in a game this season–Crochet (posting an 18-5 record and 2.59 ERA with 255 strikeouts in 32 outings) followed up by Chapman (compiling an ERA of 1.17 over 61.1 innings with 85 strikeouts and 32 saves).
However, to begin his save opportunity during the home half of the eighth as well as continue when returning back to the mound for the ninth, Chapman got off to “rocky” starts in each—allowing Anthony Volpe to advance to second base on a disengagement violation after throwing over to first base for a pick-off twice and an inning later, surrendering three consecutive singles for a bases loaded, no-out jam.
Despite it all, neither pressurized moment, one many MLB pitchers would fold under—in a hostile environment with a postseason game on the line and 40,000+ on their feet—neutralized the former Yankee and LatinoMVP Relief Pitcher of the Year. In fact, it may have provided the 37-year-old of Holguin, Cuba, to turn it up a gear.
In Game 1 of the 2025 AL Wild Card Series Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium, Aroldis Chapman recorded a four-out save for his first postseason save since Game 2 of the 2020 ALDS – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
“In that moment, you don’t hear anything. You don’t see anything,” Chapman explained through an interpreter, recording his 11th career postseason save.
“You just kind of 100 percent focus on your catcher and the next pitch.”
Chapman’s Four Out Save in Game 1 of 2025 AL Wild Card
Bottom of the Eighth: Anthony Volpe advances to second base on a disengagement violation and José Caballero flies out to right field to end the inning
Bottom of the Ninth: Three consecutive singles from Paul Goldschmidt, Aaron Judge, and Cody Bellinger, followed by striking out Giancarlo Stanton, forcing Jazz Chisholm Jr. to pop-up to right field and fanning Trent Grisham to cap off the win
With the win in Game 1 of the 2025 AL Wild Card Series Tuesday night, a best of three series, the Red Sox are one win away from eliminating the Yankees and advancing to the ALDS to face Toronto – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
“It was an electric atmosphere all night long, I feel like we rose to the occasion,” added Crochet. “Even in the ninth inning there, I felt like there was never a doubt with Chapman on the mound.”
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