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Red Sox’ Garrett Crochet explains the one thing that ‘frustrated’ him during start Monday
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- Red Sox’ Garrett Crochet explains the one thing that ‘frustrated’ him during start Monday
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Ace Garrett Crochet pitched in a Triple-A game at JetBlue Park on Monday after the Red Sox scratched him from his Sunday start against the Twins.
The Red Sox moved Crochet back one day because they are lining up their rotation for the first month of the regular season . Boston has three off days during the first three weeks and wanted to manage Crochet’s schedule and the rest of the rotation around those days.
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Crochet recorded 12 outs and allowed one run, three hits and three walks while striking out three against the Braves minor leaguers. He pitched into the fifth inning but the game included rollover innings (innings that don’t always end at three outs to manage pitch counts). The top of the first inning, for example, ended with two outs to manage Crochet’s pitch count.
Crochet felt good about his velocity, all his secondary pitches, and how his body moved. Only one thing frustrated him.
“Just four-seam command,” Crochet said. “I feel good with everything else. Ironic that the ones I feel good with are the ones that are moving, but the one that is going straight is the one that’s the toughest to locate. But I feel like that’s the main thing. I just get frustrated with four-seam command. Located some well top of the zone just above the zone that didn’t induce swings, but I feel good about those.”
He threw 69 pitches. He then finished in the bullpen where he threw another 15-20 pitches.
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“Would like to do it in a real game, feel like you could really simulate it, but nice to work in a more controlled environment, too,” he said.
Crochet will pitch his final Grapefruit League game Saturday here against the Braves. He then will start the regular season opener March 26 in Cincinnati .
“That was all about mechanics and getting his repetitions,” Cora said. “He’s in a good spot physically. So one more over the weekend and be ready for the first one.”
Mayer takes two at-bats
The Red Sox scratched Marcelo Mayer from Sunday’s lineup because of left knee soreness . But he took at-bats in Monday’s Triple-A game and he is expected to return to the big league lineup Tuesday when the Red Sox host the Braves.
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Casas also takes at-bats
Triston Casas took at-bats in this game as well, but he did not run out any balls he put in play.
Casas suffered a ruptured patellar tendon last May that required surgery. He’s expected to begin the season on the IL but obviously is making progress. He should be able to start running out balls put in play in minor league games next week, Cora said.
“He’s going through his progressions,” Cora said. “So I think the goal is for him to be a full-go kind of like running, all that stuff, next week.”
Gray to start Tuesday
Sonny Gray will start for the Red Sox on Tuesday. He initially was scheduled to pitch Monday but Boston’s game against the Orioles in Sarasota was rained out.
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