Yankees face challenging Garrett Crochet situation as they restart their rivalry with the Red Sox

Yankees and Red Sox Face Off Again

Here we go again. The rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox is heating up, particularly in the postseason. This time, they will clash in the Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium, with a spot in the ALDS on the line.

“They’ve definitely made us better this year,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone remarked after a close 3-2 victory over the Orioles. “We won the last series, but it’s always a battle. It’s down to three games between us.”

The Red Sox led the season series with a 9-4 record. They actually had an eight-game winning streak before the Yankees managed to take two out of three games at Fenway earlier this month.

Now, the Yankees are up against Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet in Game 1. Crochet is 3-0 with a 3.29 ERA in his fourth start of the season, boasting an impressive 39 strikeouts over 27⅓ innings. The only time he didn’t secure a win against the Yankees this season was back in June, when Aaron Judge broke up a shutout with a home run in the ninth inning.

“He can throw up to 100 mph and has great command over all his pitches,” Judge said. “He’s a tough matchup. That’s likely why he’s in contention for the Cy Young—arguably the best pitcher in the game right now. What he’s done this year is remarkable, and I’m looking forward to facing him.”

Throughout his career against Crochet, Judge has a 2.59 ERA and strikes out 11.2 batters per nine innings. He boasts a 15-3 record against him, including two home runs.

“He’s clearly among the best pitchers in the game,” Boone noted. “He’s had a lot of success against us.”

Max Fried, who had a strong performance against the Red Sox earlier this season, will look to challenge Crochet, holding a 1.96 ERA over three starts. Carlos Rodon and Brayan Bello are slated to pitch in Game 2 on Wednesday.

This series is significant, marking the third time these teams have met in the playoffs since the notorious ALCS in 2004. The Red Sox claimed the 2018 ALDS in four games and won the 2021 Wild Card game before the format expanded to a best-of-three series.

“It’s an exciting team and, of course, that historic rivalry,” said Ben Rice, a Yankees fan from Massachusetts. “I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. We’re just ready to get to work.”