CHICAGO -- There was one out in the eighth inning of the White Sox eventual 3-1 loss to the Red Sox on Sunday afternoon at Rate Field, and Boston starter Garrett Crochet was flirting with no-hit history.
It was more like a serious commitment from Crochet to history, as the left-hander had yielded just one walk through the first seven frames. Crochet also is more than just another Boston starter.
Selected by the White Sox at No. 11 overall in the 2020 Draft, Crochet was a bullpen fixture for the 2021 American League Central champions before becoming an All-Star starting pitcher during his first move to the rotation last season. All of that White Sox development and success ended when he was traded to the Red Sox on the last day of the 2024 Winter Meetings, in exchange for Chase Meidroth, Kyle Teel (Chicago's No. 2 prospect, No. 29 overall), Braden Montgomery (No. 5 prospect, No. 51 overall) and Wikelman Gonzalez (No. 18 prospect).
So, who was at the plate with the no-hitter on the line Sunday? Meidroth. And who broke up the no-hitter with a single past a diving Trevor Story? That would be Meidroth again.
The irony was thick with one part of this ballyhooed trade ending one day of baseball immortality for the other.
¡°No,¡± Meidroth said. ¡°It¡¯s baseball.¡±
¡°Yeah, I thought that was pretty funny too,¡± said Crochet of Meidroth¡¯s connection with a 91.5 mph exit velocity. ¡°I don't really have anything to say about it, but he put a good swing on the ball. That's about it.¡±
Meidroth¡¯s single led to Crochet¡¯s exit at 96 pitches and gave a little life to the White Sox, who were facing a 2-0 deficit. Brooks Baldwin followed with a single to right off reliever Garrett Whitlock, with Meidroth racing to third and Baldwin taking second on the wide throw. Matt Thaiss singled home Meidroth to cut the lead in half, giving the White Sox runners on first and third with one out.
But the comeback ended there, as Joshua Palacios struck out swinging and Miguel Vargas flew out to left fielder Jarren Duran, stranding runners at second and third.
¡°We are still fighting,¡± Baldwin said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how many hits we have on the board, how many runs. We are still on the gas pedal from pitch 1 to the end.¡±
¡°For us to be no-hit into the eighth inning by Crochet and in that inning, be able to get the go-ahead run to second base with one out and then, again in the ninth inning, get the tying run to the plate, I thought it was a great day where you have to do a lot of things well in other parts of the game for that to happen,¡± manager Will Venable said. ¡°Credit to our guys for hanging in there.¡±
Shane Smith matched Crochet almost pitch for pitch, although Crochet fanned 11 vs. Smith¡¯s two runs allowed in six innings with three strikeouts and two walks. Even with the White Sox still in a fight to pull off the weekend sweep, the focus was on Crochet and that fateful at-bat against Meidroth, the White Sox No. 8 prospect, who was 0-for-2 with a strikeout going into the eighth.
Breaking up the no-hitter is pressure enough, especially for the first time Meidroth faced Crochet and his electric stuff. Doing it in just his third game since being summoned from Triple-A Charlotte on Friday, against the centerpiece of the trade that brought him to Chicago, adds an extra element of suspense.
¡°Chase is a wonderful ballplayer,¡± Baldwin said. ¡°He doesn¡¯t shy away from anybody. And he¡¯s going to take his walks. He¡¯s going to put the ball in play and play good defense.¡±
¡°He was aggressive,¡± said Venable of Meidroth¡¯s hit. ¡°He's a competitor and that's just the kind of at-bats we've seen every time he steps to the place.¡±
If Sunday¡¯s matchup wasn¡¯t quite enjoyable enough, then stay tuned in Boston next weekend when Smith and Crochet could be back on the mound against each other. It¡¯s a different look for the White Sox and Crochet seeing him throw against them as opposed to for them.
¡°My impression was I liked him pitching a lot better when he was on our team,¡± said Jonathan Cannon, a friend and past rotation mate of Crochet, with a wry smile.
¡°I'm thrilled for him,¡± said White Sox pitching coach Ethan Katz of Crochet, before his mound dominance. ¡°That contract he got, very well deserved. He's one of the best arms I've ever seen in person, that I've worked with. It's a special pitcher. He¡¯s been really fun to watch in his development from '21 to '24."