Just like a year ago, the Red Sox find themselves desperately needing to figure things out after five games. After the 9-2 loss to the Astros Tuesday night in Houston, Alex Cora’s club has now won just once the first time through the starting rotation. Same as 2025.
And just as was the case when the Red Sox were 1-4 to start last season, there is a built-in bit of optimism. His name is Garrett Crochet.
A year ago, after the aforementioned sad trombone of a start to the season, it was Crochet who stepped up and dominated the Orioles via eight shutout innings. That paved the way for a five-game win streak that calmed the panic.
Once again, panic desperately needs to be calmed.
As the Red Sox turn to Crochet in the final game of their season-opening six-game road trip, they are trying to discover their proper path. So far, it has been the rockiest of roads, with Brayan Bello’s 4 2/3-inning, six-run outing against the Astros only supplying more potholes.
It has already led them into the series final, three games behind the Blue Jays and Yankees in the American League East. The hitting? They are 21st in the majors in OPS while scoring the third-fewest runs of any team in the big leagues.
The Opening Day top of the order, Roman Anthony, Trevor Story, and Jarren Duran, are a combined 10-for-58 with 25 strikeouts. The cleanup hitter, Willson Contreras, has also started his Red Sox career going 2-for-17.
And, once again, the struggles with runners in scoring position are real, with Red Sox hitters managing just a .176 clip (6-for-34) in such situations.
While Crochet and Connelly Early certainly did their part the first time through the rotation, the first go-rounds by Sonny Gray, Ranger Suarez and Bello left something to be desired, surrending a combined 14 runs in 13 innings without any of them pitching as many as five innings.
Now, this is where the rubber meets the early-season road.
This is also the purpose of an ace like Crochet. It’s a dynamic that’s not unique to the Red Sox, with the Tigers leaning on their ace, Tarik Skubal, on Wednesday to snap a three-game skid. Both pitchers understand it's in the job description, as was evidenced in 2025 when the Sox’s No. 1 starter went 8-1 after his team’s losses, with the club winning 10 of the 13 games. Skubal was 12-2 in such situations.
Perhaps the Sox didn’t feel like they would need to call in such a favor so quickly, but there they are.
Now the Red Sox need to have this part of the plan actually work out.
