Garrett Crochet Shrugs Off Rivalry Talk Before Red Sox-Yankees Series

Garrett Crochet knows what he is up against, but he is not buying into Red Sox–Yankees rivalry hype.

The Boston Red Sox left-hander is set to face New York again Friday night at Fenway Park, just six days after earning a win in the Bronx despite allowing five earned runs. That outing — his first career start at Yankee Stadium — included nine strikeouts, six hits, and one walk over six innings. It also featured three punchouts of Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.

Still, when asked about the meaning of pitching against the Yankees, Crochet kept the focus on execution, not emotion.

“They can refine their plan against me and I can refine mine,” he said, as reported by Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe. “I know what I did well and I know what I did poorly.”

Austin Wells was a particular thorn in his side. The Yankees catcher tagged Crochet for a three-run homer on a first-pitch cutter and added an RBI double off a high fastball.

“I’m not going to say what my plan is,” Crochet said. “But back-to-back, I get it. I need to adjust.”

Crochet, who grew up in Mississippi, admitted the rivalry does not carry the same weight for him as it might for the fans.

“The rivalry is more for the fans,” he said. “I get a little extra juice because they’re a good team. I felt the same way when I faced the Dodgers last year — I just wanted to beat them because they’re so good.”

He enters Friday with a 6-4 record, a 2.35 ERA, and plenty of confidence.