Boston Red Sox Ace Garrett Crochet Makes History With Latest Stellar Start

The Boston Red Sox cashed in their chips on Garrett Crochet this past winter, parting with multiple top prospects to pry him away from the Chicago White Sox before handing him a nine-figure contract extension.

And with each passing day, the 25-year-old southpaw proves his worth in a new way.

Crochet took the mound in Sunday's rubber match against the Atlanta Braves. After giving up a solo home run to Marcell Ozuna in the bottom of the first, Crochet was virtually spotless.

Through six innings, Crochet had racked up nine strikeouts, all while preserving Boston's 3-1 lead. He proceeded to strike out the side in the seventh, getting the hook after a career-high 112 pitches.

Crochet allowed five hits, two walks and one earned run with 12 strikeouts across 7.0 innings Sunday. He is now 5-4 with a 1.98 ERA, 1.061 WHIP and 101 strikeouts through 13 starts on the season.

According to the Red Sox's former director of media relations Justin Long, Crochet is one of just six pitchers in MLB history to record 100-plus strikeouts with a sub-2.00 ERA in their first 13 appearances with a team. Hideo Nomo became the first to do so as a rookie with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995, while CC Sabathia, Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander and Paul Skenes achieved the feat with the Milwaukee Brewers, Washington Nationals, Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates, respectively.