Boston Red Sox Ace With Worst Start Of Career In Loss To Twins

· Yahoo Sports

It was a start to forget for Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet in the Red Sox' 13-6 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Monday night. Crochet had what was, unequivocally, the worst start of his now six-year career, lasting just 1.2 innings. 

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It was clear right away that Crochet did not have his best stuff after retiring the Twins' leadoff hitter, Byron Buxton, on a lazy flyball to center. Minnesota leftfielder Austin Martin jumped all over the first pitch he saw from Crochet, and from there the floodgates opened. Crochet went on to allow four runs to score in the first inning, only the second time in his career he has allowed four runs in one inning, per the Boston Globe's Tim Healey. 

Things continued to unravel from there for the 26-year-old Crochet. After allowing a leadoff single to Buxton in the bottom of the second, Crochet would proceed to walk the next two batters to load the bases, and from there, Minnesota continued to pile on. By the time Crochet recorded the first out of the inning, the Twins offense had exploded for another six runs, capped off by a Victor Caratini three-run home run, stretching the Minnesota lead to ten, 10-0. After finally recording the first two outs of the inning, Twins third baseman Ryan Kreidler launched a solo shot 438 feet to left field, mercifully ending Crochet's night.

The final line? A career-worst, 11 runs (ten earned) on nine hits, three walks and no strikeouts across 1.2 innings. When asked about the start, Crochet told reporters there wasn't really any one thing to point to, "I just feel like they had a good approach, it was all pitch types that I felt like they were absolutely smothering...it was just three variations of hard, that's how I pitch, and tip your cap, they hit them all." When asked if he was healthy, Crochet emphasized that he was. 

For Crochet, nothing was working; he lacked any type of command, throwing just 30 of his 55 pitches for strikes, generating just two whiffs. What was most alarming, though, was Crochet's dip in velocity, with all four of the pitches in his arsenal dropping off over one mph each. When asked about the dip in velocity, Crochet shook it off, saying, "I don't think that's anything to fret over."

Red Sox manager Alex Cora was asked after the game what he saw from his ace, saying, "It felt like he had nothing going away from righties, everything was in, and they did an outstanding job covering that part." Cora, like Crochet, emphasized that he was healthy, "He's healthy, so that's the most important thing." Cora said. 

The Red Sox will look to even the series on Tuesday night. Sonny Gray will get the start opposite Mick Abel for Minnesota. First pitch from Target Field set for 7:40 p.m. ET. 

The Red Sox are now 6-10 and in last place in the American League East.

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