Red Sox recap: Garrett Crochet not sharp in series finale loss to the Mariners

With left-handed ace Garrett Crochet on the mound, the Red Sox were hoping to end their homestand on a winning note.

Instead, the southpaw had his worst outing as a member of the Red Sox, walking five batters and throwing a career-high 110 pitches, as Boston fell 4-3 to Seattle.

Crochet was rocky in the first inning, allowing a single to Dylan Moore, a walk to Randy Arozarena, and a balk before Mitch Garver delivered a two-run single to put Seattle up early. He allowed two more runs in the second inning, allowing a season-high four runs in his start.

In the second, he allowed two more runs off two hits and a leadoff walk. He would walk two more in the fourth and fifth innings.

The lefty never looked like he was able to settle into his outing, giving up four runs off five hits with five walks and striking out nine. His ERA rose to 1.95, which is still one of the best in the American League.

It was his shortest outing since Opening Day down in Arlington, Texas.

Crochet felt that he was too passive in his start, and he shied away from what had been working for him over his first six starts this season.

"I’ve just got to get back to that (attack) mentality,” said Crochet. “Just referencing how I was not happy with the success I was having, feeling like I had work to do—that was the wrong approach to have. Sometimes, you’ve got to take the good with the bad. Today was just getting back to who I am, just filling up the zone, throwing fastballs middle-middle, and if you hit it, you hit it. It’s a lot better than trying to place one on the inner rail and leaving out over and giving up an extra-base hit like I did in the second inning.

“For me, pitching is hitting your spots and painting, I suppose. That’s just not me. I’ll have the accidental misfire paint, or I really drove it on a specific pitch, and it happens to be paint. But for the most part, I do a lot of my work in the heart of the zone. I think I was getting away from that because I was having success, so it was like, ‘What’s the next thing I can work on?’ Always trying to work on something as opposed to, you just get to a point where you’ve just got to continue what you’re doing.”

Over his first five starts, Crochet had only allowed four earned runs in 32 innings while striking out 35 batters and walking just 10.

“I’m just pitching passively,” Crochet said. “I’ve been talking in my last couple pressers (about) getting to the glove side, and it became something where I was trying to pitch instead of 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.

“It’s a bit of a mindset thing. Getting behind 1-0, the next pitch is, ‘Ok, this has to be a strike,’ and it’s not a (good) pitch. The pressure’s just continuing to build and build and build. When I’m at my best, it’s a ‘So what? Next pitch’ mentality.”

Crochet felt he needed to throw more first-pitch strikes and should have relied more on his fastball that topped out at 98.4 mph, according to Statcast. He was able to induce 10 swings and misses, despite not having his best stuff in the afternoon.

“I think sometimes I give a little too much credit, start to overthink my sequencing, and get away from the four-seam,” the left-hander said. “In the third, fourth, and fifth, I started throwing the four-seam a little bit more.

“I had success with it. That’s what got me to the big leagues and what helped me make a name for myself last year. No reason to get away from that even if they know what’s coming.”

After being saddled with the loss, Crochet took responsibility for the game.

“The game was the first two innings that I pitched,” Crochet said. “That’s really what lost us the game today.”

ALEX BREGMAN HOT START

Alex Bregman had an excellent game, hitting a solo homer in the first inning over the Green Monster. He plated another run in the third inning and made three outstanding plays at the hot corner.

“He’s the player I expected, so I’m not surprised,” Alex Cora said. “He controls the strike zone. He doesn’t swing and miss. He doesn’t panic with two strikes. Just a consistent approach throughout the week, the series. He’s in a good spot. It’s a great start.”

Bregman has historically been a slow starter offensively and is hitting .320 with five homers, 10 doubles, 21 RBIs, a .393 on-base percentage, and .956 OPS through 26 games.

TOUGH HOMESTAND 

Rafael Devers had a rough homestand, going 0-for-4 on Thursday and just 2-for-23 with eight walks and seven strikeouts over the seven games at Fenway Park. He’s hitless in his last 16 at-bats, and his batting average has plummeted down to .194 and he has a .658 OPS.

Despite Devers’ struggles, Cora isn’t too worried about his slugger’s current offensive struggles.

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

RED SOX NOTABLES

Kristian Campbell started in center field and went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in the loss. He struck out six times in the series, and he is 0 for his last eight at the plate.

Carlos Narváez homered in the eighth off the Pesky Pole in right field, which made it a one-run game.

Red Sox relievers Greg Weissert, Liam Hendriks, and Luis Guerrero kept the Mariners scoreless over the final four innings. Hendriks allowed three runs in the seventh inning but was able to escape the frame without any damage. In Guerrero’s first outing of the season, he threw 19 pitches over two shutout frames and saw his fastball top out at 97.8 mph. He was efficient on the mound, throwing 15 of his 19 pitches for strikes.

OFF TO CLEVELAND

The Red Sox will fly to Cleveland after the game ahead of a six-game, seven-day road trip that begins Friday at Progressive Field. Here’s the schedule (and pitching probables) for the weekend series against the Guardians:

Friday, 7:10 p.m. ET — RHP Tanner Houck (0-2, 7.66 ERA) vs. RHP Ben Lively (1-2, 3.86 ERA)

Saturday, 6:10 p.m. ET — RHP Walker Buehler (3-1, 4.23 ERA) vs. LHP Logan Allen (1-1, 2.11 ERA)

Sunday, 1:40 p.m. ET — RHP Brayan Bello (1-0, 1.80 ERA) vs. RHP Gavin Williams (2-1, 4.15 ERA)