After a nine-day break, Crochet made a strong comeback, helping the Red Sox achieve seven consecutive victories.

As the critical sprint phase approaches, the Red Sox opted to allow their ace pitcher Garrett Crochet to take a nine-day break.

Today, this left-handed pitcher returned in front of a full crowd at Fenway Park (37,013 fans), and his pitching quickly sparked excitement throughout the stadium.

Crochet's 105th pitch, which turned out to be his last, was crucial. He struck out Luke Maile with a fastball clocked at 96.7 mph, averting a potential tying run on second base.

The hot Red Sox secured a 6-2 victory thanks to Crochet's dominant seven-inning performance and a series of timely hits, marking their seventh straight win and their ninth victory in the last ten games.

“I’ve been really eager for this game over the past nine days,” Crochet said. “I hope this is the last time I feel like I need to catch my breath, and that by October, I still feel good and can give it my all.”

As Crochet left the mound, the crowd erupted in thunderous applause; he shouted and emphatically pounded his fist into his glove.

“I think the fans understood our situation at that moment, right? They stood up and cheered for the two strikes, and it got really loud in here,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “I mean, think about his season last year with the White Sox and as an individual player, right? He went through some ups and downs, had innings limits, and so on. And now, this is exactly what he wants to do—just pitch. We’ll let him do that.”

Although the Red Sox will continue to utilize the team's off days to give Crochet an extra day of rest between starts, there won't be any longer breaks moving forward.

“I think this is the last time we’ll skip his start from now on, of course, assuming he stays healthy,” Cora said while tapping the wooden table he was sitting at. “We’ll use the off days to our advantage. But I don’t think we need to be (cautious) anymore. This is something we discussed before the All-Star break, and I think overall, we’ve maintained a very strict discipline, including him, because it’s tough. He wants to pitch, he wants to contribute.”

From the lower box seats to the stands, all the way to the last row of the outfield seating area, and much of the standing room was filled to capacity. Cora's team improved to 16-2 at home since June 30 and reached 23-5 since June 4.

The revitalized Crochet set the tone for the game, pitching seven full innings and allowing only four hits and two runs, with one walk and eight strikeouts. This American League Cy Young Award candidate currently leads the majors in wins (13), innings pitched (148.1), and strikeouts (183), while holding a third-best ERA of 2.24.

“The atmosphere right now is fun,” Crochet said. “I can imagine what it will be like a few months from now, but that’s why we have to keep working hard. We have 47 games left. But yes, it feels really good to play for the Boston team here.”

Crochet also received support from his teammates, as Trevor Story contributed two hits and three RBIs, while Wilyer Abreu added two hits, two RBIs, and made a spectacular catch in right field.

Story's struggles in May are now a distant memory. In the past seven games, he has a batting average of .480 with an OPS of 1.552, including four doubles, three home runs, and 11 RBIs. This is exactly what the Red Sox hoped for when they signed Story in 2022.

“This is definitely significant, hitting in the middle of the order, that’s your job,” Story said. “You have to drive those teammates in. They get on base, and it’s our turn to bring them home to score. I think this year, in many ways, less is more. Sometimes, just taking the thought of hitting home runs out of your mind and using another bat can help you get the job done.”

As for Abreu, when he dashed into the corner of the outfield, he made another difficult catch look easy. He raised his glove at the last moment, catching Nick Loftin's powerful fly ball just before crashing into the low wall.

“It was a very difficult catch,” Abreu said. “The dimensions of this park are huge, so it’s really important to stay focused and try to make a play like that when you're out there.”

Tonight, no one was more focused than Crochet, a frontline starter that any true competitor needs.

“Ace, man,” Cora said. “An ace can end losing streaks and extend winning streaks, and that’s exactly what he’s doing right now.”