Crochet labors, but has epiphany: Throw, don't pitch

BOSTON – Getaway day with Garrett Crochet on the mound. Confidence beamed throughout the clubhouse that a happy flight to Cleveland loomed for the Red Sox.

But something unexpected happened on Thursday afternoon: Boston’s new ace lefty had a complete struggle with command, particularly in the first two innings.

Though Crochet did stay in the battle long enough to throw five innings, he needed a career-high 110 pitches to do so, and also issued a career-high five walks. While giving up four runs on five hits and striking out nine, Crochet was on the losing end as the Red Sox fell to the Mariners, 4-3, in the rubber match of a three-game series.

The old adage taught by coaches to players at a very young age is “be a pitcher, not a thrower.”

However, that’s not how Crochet rolls. And he thinks that falling into that trap cost him the game on Thursday.

“I think just pitching passively,” said Crochet. “I've been talking in my past couple pressers about getting to the glove side. It became something where I was trying to pitch instead of just throw. I’ve always been a bit of a thrower, which is just who I am. Once I started getting back to my roots and being a power pitcher later in the game, the walks were still there. But, I was at least able to get guys out.”

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Over Crochet’s first two innings, he threw 54 pitches. The Mariners capitalized, building an early 4-1 lead.

“He throws hard, everything moves and he’s tall, so you’re feeling like he’s throwing the ball five feet from you,” said Mariners second baseman Leo Rivas. “Tough pitcher, but he wasn’t commanding that well today, and we just took advantage of it.”

Crochet, who has a 1.95 ERA in his first six starts for Boston, is eager for a shot at redemption in his next start in Toronto next week.

“I put the team in a bad spot, and I had to get us out of it,” said Crochet. “With the innings I left on the table, the bullpen did a really good job. Hopefully I can make it up to them on the next turn.”

One thing you can be sure of for that next start: Crochet won’t be doing any Picasso imitations.

How does he look at the art of pitching versus throwing?

“For me, pitching is hitting your spots, and painting,” Crochet said. “For the most part, I do a lot of my work in the heart of the zone, and I think that I was getting away from that, because I was having success. So it was like, ‘What's the next thing that I could work on then?’ I’m always trying to work on something, as opposed to, you get to a point where you’ve just got to continue what you’re doing.”

Bregman’s big day
While it was generally a tough day for the Red Sox, the exception was third baseman Alex Bregman. Boston’s big offensive acquisition hammered a home run over everything in left in his first at-bat and smashed an RBI single to the base of the Green Monster in the third inning. In the top of the second, Bregman made a sensational barehanded play down the line to take a hit away from Donovan Solano.

“This is the player I expected,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “I’m not surprised. He controls the strike zone. He doesn’t swing and miss. He doesn’t panic with two strikes. He has a consistent approach throughout the week, and the series, and he’s in a good spot. A great start.”

Not a great start for Devers
Rafael Devers had a historically bad start to his season, becoming the first MLB player to strike out 15 times in the first five games of the season. For a while, he found it, slashing .429/.488/.657 over a nine-game, 35 at-bat stretch from April 2-10.

But Devers finished the homestand in the depths of another rough patch. He has four hits in his last 44 at-bats. The only bright spot during that time? Twelve walks to bring his American League-leading total to 21. For the season, Devers has a line of .194/.331/.327 with two homers and 14 RBIs.

“Dominating in the strike zone but swinging and missing in the strike zone, and that’s something we have to work on, mechanics-wise,” said Cora. “The group is grinding, he is grinding. He knows it. Hopefully we find it in Cleveland.”