“I Didn’t Even Know Where to Stand”: Garrett Crochet’s Complete Game Signals a New Era for Boston’s Mound
BOSTON — Under the brilliant lights of Fenway Park, with fans still roaring long after the final pitch, Garrett Crochet stood alone on the mound for a moment, looking a little… lost.
He’d just completed his first career complete game—a masterful, 9-inning performance that silenced the opposing lineup and ignited an already frenzied Boston crowd. But in that moment, as the third out was recorded and his teammates poured out of the dugout to greet him, Crochet admitted he had no idea what to do next.
“I didn’t even know what to do when the third out was recorded,” Crochet said with a grin after the game. “I was like, ‘Where do I stand?’”
For a franchise in the midst of transition, that genuine honesty and raw emotion might be just as important as the electric left arm that delivered Boston its most dominant start of the season.
The Making of a Complete Game
Crochet, 25, arrived in Boston last offseason amid cautious optimism. A fireballer with swing-and-miss stuff, he’d shown flashes of brilliance but also battled injuries and inconsistency. The Red Sox believed they could help him unlock his full potential—and on this night, every bit of that bet paid off.
Across 9 innings, Crochet scattered just five hits, struck out 11, and didn’t issue a single walk. He worked both sides of the plate, mixing a 98-mph fastball with a vicious slider and a newly refined changeup that froze hitters looking for heat.
“He was just… in total command,” said catcher Connor Wong. “You could tell after the first inning that his stuff was as sharp as it’s ever been. But more than that, he trusted himself.”
A Journey of Reinvention
Crochet’s road to this moment hasn’t been linear. Drafted in the first round in 2020, he was quickly fast-tracked to the big leagues out of the bullpen. He arrived with hype—a towering presence on the mound, pumping triple-digit fastballs. But by 2022, elbow issues forced him into surgery, derailing his momentum and leaving his future uncertain.
When Boston acquired him, there were whispers around the league that he might be destined for a permanent bullpen role. The Red Sox, however, envisioned him as a starter—a gamble that required months of mechanical work and mental adjustments.
“Early in camp, he was trying to throw everything 100 mph,” Red Sox pitching coach Dave Bush said. “But we kept telling him: ‘Being a starter isn’t about max effort. It’s about control, about mixing your pitches, about picking your moments.’”
Crochet listened. He devoted his offseason to building stamina and refining his secondary pitches. Slowly, the puzzle pieces clicked into place.
The Moment Fenway Fell in Love
It’s one thing to watch a pitcher carve up hitters. It’s another to see him win over an entire city in one night.
As Crochet jogged off the mound after the ninth inning, Fenway Park erupted. Fans stood and cheered, chanting his name in a way rarely heard for newcomers in Boston. Even manager Alex Cora, notoriously poker-faced in tense moments, cracked a grin in the dugout.
“That’s the loudest I’ve heard this place all year,” Cora said. “He deserved every bit of it.”
The best part? Crochet’s own sheepish, childlike reaction.
“I’m used to getting pulled after the sixth or seventh,” he admitted. “So I didn’t know where to stand, who to look at. I’m just glad the guys came out and showed me where to go.”
Teammates Take Notice
In the clubhouse afterward, Crochet was mobbed by teammates who showered him with high-fives and back slaps. Veteran Chris Sale, who knows a thing or two about dominating outings at Fenway, offered a hug and a simple message:
“Welcome to Boston.”
Infielder Rafael Devers, still in partial uniform, was one of the first to praise Crochet publicly.
“He has special stuff,” Devers said through a translator. “But he’s also humble. That’s why we love him.”
Bigger Implications for Boston
Beyond the feel-good story, Crochet’s performance might signal something larger. The Red Sox have spent the past few seasons in a sort of baseball purgatory—neither truly rebuilding nor fully contending. They’ve lacked a clear ace since Sale’s injuries and Nathan Eovaldi’s departure.
Crochet may not be that ace yet. But outings like this make it easier to dream.
“He’s putting himself on the map,” Cora said. “That’s what this city wants—guys who show up, compete, and don’t back down. He’s earning respect fast.”
The front office took notice, too. A team official acknowledged that Crochet’s emergence could influence trade deadline plans. Rather than dealing veterans for prospects, the Sox might now look to add reinforcements for a late-season push.
A Night He Won’t Forget
For Crochet, though, the bigger picture can wait. As reporters crowded his locker late into the night, he still looked like a kid trying to process it all.
“It’s surreal,” he said. “I’ve dreamed about a game like this since I was a kid. I’ll remember tonight for the rest of my life.”
He paused, laughed, and added:
“And next time, I’ll try to figure out where to stand.”
On a summer night in Boston, Garrett Crochet didn’t just throw a complete game. He might have announced himself as the next big thing for the Red Sox—and perhaps given Fenway something it hasn’t felt in a while: hope.
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