Sunday at Fenway Park was one of those games that leaves you shaking your head—for all the wrong reasons and a few inspiring ones. Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet took a screaming line drive off his nose in a 5-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins, a moment that had everyone in the ballpark holding their breath. But in true gamer fashion, Crochet shrugged it off, stayed in the fight, and delivered a performance that reminded us why he’s one of the brightest arms in baseball. Let’s break down the scare, the grit, and why this game, despite the final score, showed the kind of heart that keeps Red Sox Nation believing.
It went down in the fourth inning, with the Sox clinging to a 3-1 lead. Twins shortstop Carlos Correa, no stranger to crushing pitches, smoked a comebacker that looked destined for trouble. The ball clipped Crochet’s glove and smashed into his nose, the crack echoing through a stunned Fenway. For a split second, you could feel the panic—Crochet doubled over, hands on his face, as the training staff sprinted out. A broken nose? A concussion? Worse? Nobody knew. But then, in a play that’s already making highlight reels, the deflected ball rolled to second baseman Kristian Campbell, who fired to first to nab Correa for an improbable assist. Crochet, still shaking off the sting, waved off the trainers after a quick check, flashed a grin, and got back to work. “It barely grazed me, honestly,” he told reporters postgame, downplaying a hit that would’ve sent most of us to the couch with an ice pack. “Just more shaken up by the initial impact than anything.”
That’s Garrett Crochet in a nutshell—cool under pressure, tougher than a Fenway hot dog bun. The 25-year-old lefty, acquired in the blockbuster trade that sent Yoan Moncada to the White Sox last offseason, kept dealing through the fifth, racking up six strikeouts, two walks, and just one earned run on four hits over 89 pitches. That lone run? A first-pitch fastball that Byron Buxton obliterated for a solo homer to open the game, a “welcome to the big leagues” moment that might’ve rattled a lesser pitcher. But Crochet settled in, mixing his 94-mph fastball—down a tick from his usual 95.9 mph, likely due to the face shot—with a slider that had Twins hitters swinging at shadows. His 2.02 ERA through 49 innings this season, paired with 56 strikeouts, is the kind of stat line that makes you sit up and take notice. This guy’s not just good—he’s the kind of ace who can carry a staff.
What makes Crochet’s outing even more impressive is the context. Getting hit in the face isn’t exactly a walk in the park, and you could see the aftershocks. His nose went numb, his velocity dipped slightly, and he admitted postgame that he was “a little foggy” for an inning. Yet he gutted it out, retiring the side in order after the Correa incident and keeping Minnesota’s bats quiet until he handed the ball to the bullpen. It’s the kind of resilience Red Sox fans live for—think Pedro Martinez staring down hitters with ice in his veins or Jon Lester battling through adversity. Crochet’s still new to Boston, but moments like this make him feel like he’s been bleeding red and navy his whole life.
Unfortunately, the bullpen didn’t match his fire. Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten, usually reliable arms, picked a bad day to wobble. The Twins pounced, plating four runs over the final four innings to erase Boston’s 3-1 lead. Whitlock got tagged for a two-run double in the seventh, and Slaten coughed up a go-ahead homer in the eighth that felt like a dagger. Wilyer Abreu tried to play hero, crushing a solo shot in the eighth to pull the Sox within one, but Minnesota’s Jhoan Duran slammed the door in the ninth with a 102-mph heater that left Rafael Devers frozen. Final score: 5-4 Twins, dropping Boston to 19-17 and leaving a sour taste after a game they had in their grasp.
For Red Sox Nation, this one stings, but it’s hard not to walk away buzzing about Crochet. The guy took a line drive to the face, stayed in, and shoved for five innings, giving his team every chance to win. His postgame vibe—calm, confident, almost unfazed—tells you he’s built for the Fenway spotlight. Fans on X were eating it up, with one calling him “a straight-up dawg” and another joking, “Crochet’s nose took a bigger hit than the Twins’ lineup.” That’s the kind of love you earn when you show up in a big moment.
Looking ahead, the Sox need Crochet to keep anchoring this rotation. With Lucas Giolito still working back from Tommy John and Tanner Houck battling inconsistency, Crochet’s emergence as a legit No. 1 is a game-changer. His ability to miss bats—those 56 Ks rank him among the AL’s best—and limit damage (that 2.02 ERA isn’t a fluke) gives Boston a shot against anyone. The bullpen’s got to tighten up, no question, but if Crochet keeps dealing like this, the Sox could climb back into the AL East race sooner than you think.
For now, let’s tip the cap to a pitcher who turned a scary moment into a display of pure grit. Garrett Crochet didn’t just dodge a bullet on Sunday—he stared it down and kept firing. That’s the kind of heart that can turn a good team into a great one, and Red Sox fans are already dreaming of what this kid can do in October. Keep the ice pack handy, Garrett, but don’t change a thing—you’re exactly what this town loves.
