𧢠Red Sox Actually Win a Game: Crochet Mows âEm Down, Story Actually Does Something
đ A Rare Moment of Competence
Hold on to your hats, folksâthe Red Sox won yesterday! It wasnât pretty, and it sure wasnât expected, but Garrett Crochet and Trevor Story decided theyâd had enough of this âletâs just tank for draft picksâ nonsense.
Crochet looked like he was auditioning for the Cy Young race, carving up the Braves like they owed him money. Meanwhile, Storyâyes, that Storyâfinally remembered heâs supposed to be an offensive contributor and smacked a three-run double in the first inning. The best part? The offense didnât even need to do anything else, because that was apparently enough to satisfy the baseball gods for one afternoon.
𼳠Crochet is Filthy (Again)
If youâre not paying attention to Garrett Crochet, start. Heâs single-handedly keeping this team from falling off a cliff and into the Atlantic. Seven innings, 12 strikeouts, one measly runâhe made the Braves look like they were still hungover from the night before.
Crochet now has 101 strikeouts on the year, which is pretty impressive considering the rest of this staff would struggle to strike out a tee-ball team. His ERA sits at a sparkling 1.98, and yesterday he had that slider dancing like it was prom night. Braves hitters had no chance.
Itâs almost like the front office should build a team around a guy like this. Crazy idea, huh?
âž Storyâs Big Moment: A Glimmer of the Past
Trevor Story, whose bat has mostly been in witness protection this year, came out swinging in the first inning. He roped a three-run double off the center field wall that missed being a grand slam by a few feet. That was all the Sox would need yesterday, because apparently when Story does something, the team collectively agrees itâs time to sit back and relax.
For a moment, fans could squint and pretend Story was the guy we thought we were getting when they gave him that fat contract. Just one big swing, then back to the bench, where he presumably ordered a cold beer and watched Crochet do his thing.
đĽ Bullpen Holds the Line (For Once)
Hereâs something we donât say often enough: the bullpen didnât screw it up! Greg Weissert and Aroldis Chapman each tossed a scoreless inning to wrap up the win. Chapman, fresh off his ninth save of the season, even managed not to load the bases or spontaneously combust. We love to see it.
The relief corps has been a horror show lately, so letâs take this as a small mercy. Or maybe the planets just aligned for one day. Either way, Chapman didnât walk the tying run on four pitchesâprogress!
𧚠Series Win: Better Than Nothing
The Sox ended up winning the series in Atlanta, which might not sound impressive, but considering they looked like theyâd rather be fishing in Cape Cod for most of May, weâll take it.
With yesterdayâs win, Boston moves to 29-32 on the season. Itâs not exactly the juggernaut of 2018, but in a year where moral victories are all weâre getting, a series split against the Braves feels almost like progress.
Almost.
đŚ Gear Up, Because Why Not?
If youâre going to suffer through this teamâs rollercoaster ride, you might as well look good doing it. Grab some new gear to keep your spirits high:
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đŁ Sound Off, Sox Nation!
Whatâd you think of yesterdayâs game? Was this a real turnaround or just another random win in a season full of letdowns? Let us know in the comments below, or join the ongoing therapy session that is Red Sox Twitter.