Red Sox reactions: Garrett Crochet bounces back with dominant outing in shutout win over A’s
Garrett Crochet showed no signs of tiring in a dominant outing against the A's on Monday. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)Getty Images
Instant reactions as the Red Sox (80-65) make their Sacramento debut in style, riding a stellar Garrett Crochet start to a 7-0 win over the Athletics at Sutter Health Park:
1) Crochet rebounded more than nicely from a weird start against the Guardians in which he allowed four homers last week. Boston’s ace was dominant from the jump and struck out 10 batters in seven shutout innings against an Athletics team that can hit better than its record would suggest. The lefty allowed three hits (two singles and a double) and didn’t walk a batter for the third straight start.
Crochet has had two stinkers since August 1 (against Houston and Cleveland) but has still been very good most starts. The other eight starts in his last 10 have all been quality starts.
Crochet was in double digits in the strikeout category for the seventh time this season. His personal high came on June 1, when he punched out 12 in Atlanta.
2) With the win, the Red Sox gained a half-game on the Blue Jays and Yankees, who were both off. Boston is now three games behind Toronto for first place in the American League East and trails New York by a single game. The Jays resume play Tuesday at home against the Astros while the Yankees host the Tigers.
The Sox also remained five games clear of the Rangers, who are the first team out of the wild card picture and won. Boston remains second in the wild card race, in sole possession of that spot.
3) Big swings led to two of the runs to give Crochet an early cushion. With two outs in the first, Trevor Story got a fastball and didn’t miss it, crushing it 109.7 mph and 404 feet to left. Story’s homer was his 24th.
In the fifth inning, it was catcher Carlos Narváez who went deep off rookie Luis Morales. His 13th homer was a 103.1 mph, 422-foot shot to left.
4) A Sox offense that had been sputtering in the days since Roman Anthony went down had a balanced attack against Morales, a 22-year-old who entered with a 1.59 ERA, and some A’s relievers. Seven different Red Sox drove in runs.
Nick Sogard, playing near home in Northern California, and his good friend Jarren Duran each had RBI singles in the second. After Narváez homered in the fifth, Duran doubled, stole third and then scored when Alex Bregman shot a well-placed RBI single through the middle.
It was more of the same in the eighth. With two men in scoring position, Romy Gonzalez and Masataka Yoshida got in on the run-scoring action with RBI knocks off Scott McGough.
In all, seven Red Sox batters had hits. At the top, the trio of Duran, Bregman and Story each had two, as well as Narváez and Yoshida. There wasn’t a ton of slug but the Red Sox kept the line moving and were 5-for-9 with runners in scoring position, totaling 12 hits.
5) Duran’s RBI single in the second was his 500th career hit. He moved back to the leadoff spot after two days hitting lower while Boston tried hitting Masataka Yoshida first.
Gonzalez has the longest active hitting streak in the majors at 11 games.
6) It was somewhat interesting that the Red Sox chose not to give Crochet a mini-breather with the game in hand in the middle innings. He was at 77 pitches through five innings and 91 through six and there’s always a chance that this late in the season, Alex Cora would have decided that was enough. Cora instead decided to let Crochet max out with a regular workload and he finished at 101 pitches. That the team has uncertain plans for Wednesday likely played a factor.
Zack Kelly, pitching on back-to-back days, then Chris Murphy, finished the game, helping the bullpen-saving effort.
7) The Red Sox have found themselves on the right side of the ledger when it comes to shutouts this season. They’ve shut out opponents 10 times but been shut out only four times. The last one before Monday came in a 5-0 win over the Orioles in Baltimore on August 26.
8) Boston is one win away from matching its total from last year, when the club was exactly .500 (81-81). The Red Sox are the fourth American League team to get to the 80-win mark.
9) Righty Dustin May (7-11, 4.96 ERA) will make his return to the starting rotation Tuesday night, getting a turn for the first time since the Pirates beat him on August 30. The A’s will start one-time Red Sox lefty Jeffrey Springs (10-10, 4.13 ERA). First pitch is once again at 10:05 p.m. ET.
BREAKING: Kerry Wood RETURNS TO THE CHICAGO CUBS AS CO-OWNER!
A new chapter in history has just been written — Chicago Cubs legend Kerry Wood has officially bought back his stake and become a CO-OWNER of the team where his name is etched in blood, sweat, and endless applause. From a legendary pitcher on the mound to a shaper of the future, Wood has returned, not to throw heat, but to lead the team with the heart of a champion who has never left the field. This reunion has left the entire city in awe.
In a move that feels more like a Hollywood script than MLB news, Wood’s return isn’t just about nostalgia—it’s about taking the Cubs to new heights. Now standing alongside the Ricketts family, he’s not only a legend but a powerful voice in shaping the next era of Cubs baseball.
“I’ve always been a Cub,” Wood shared emotionally. “But today, I come home not to throw strikes—but to help lead this team back to greatness in a new way.”
With his return, Wood will play a key role in strategic decisions, from player development to fan engagement. He’s bringing his championship mindset and unrivaled baseball IQ to the boardroom, working closely with Manager David Ross and the front office to elevate the Cubs to new heights.
This homecoming is more than just a business move; it’s deeply personal. Wood’s legacy is forever etched in Chicago’s baseball history, and now he’s back to ensure the Cubs' future is as bright as their glorious past. The champion has returned—not in cleats, but in power. And Chicago just became a lot stronger.
