Bradfo picks through the Red Sox' problems
NEW YORK - "Garret Crochet".
As the Red Sox starting pitcher - Garrett Crochet - sat under the nameplate on his locker at the Yankee Stadium visitors clubhouse, he wasn't oblivious to the "t" that was missing from his first name.
"It's the second time it has happened in the last couple of weeks," the lefty said with a chuckle.
It was a microcosm of the entire Saturday night. Not perfect, but good enough.
For the Red Sox right now, a win is a win is a win, as the vibes after their 10-7 win over the Yankees suggested. It wasn't an evening filled with perfection. Crochet's six-inning, five-run start offered that reminder. But it was a game which saw some postgame smiles finally come out.
Kristian Campbell could being surrounded by the media in the middle of the dressing room, getting the chance to recap his first two RBI game since May 13.
Campbell's quotes came just after Trevor Story also was reintroduced to being the media's center of attention in a positive fashion, having hinted a resurgence with three hits and five RBI.
"Yeah, exciting game,” Story said. "A lot of ups and downs, a lot of action. It felt like classic Red Sox-Yankees."
Romy Gonzalez also could continue to distinguish himself as much more part of the solution than the problem at first base, pushing his batting average to .329 and OPS to .854 after notching a three-hit, three-run night that included his first homer of the season.
All of it allowed for those far-too-familiar frowns to be turned upside down.
Justin Wilson could reflect on needing to turn his PitchCom speaker up to "11" due to the Yankee Stadium crowd noise in the eighth inning.
Alex Bregman chuckled while admitting to shaving his mustache in the middle of Friday night's game to change his team's luck. "I only had it for about a day," he noted.
Marcelo Mayer was free to craft a text to his buddy Roman Anthony after being alerted to the game's top prospect's 497-foot home run in Worcester a few hours before. "I haven't. I don't think anybody has," the infielder said when asked if he had ever seen Anthony hit such a blast. "Never. Not even in BP. It's pretty sick."
And then there was Crochet, who could take solace that he pitched the Red Sox to a win ... and his next start would be while using a locker that possessed the correct spelling of his name.
"I felt like I threw the ball pretty well today," he said. “I know I gave up five earned, but I kept the ball on the ground. I could do a better job at finishing lefties once I'm ahead. But outside of that, in my mind, it was a good start."