Sunday night in the Bronx, the Yankees had no answers for Kutter Crawford.
In the seventh scoreless inning of the Boston-New York series finale, Crawford was outstanding, allowing only four hits to Aaron Judge and company. The right-hander was also incredibly effective, needing just 68 pitches to complete his outing before the Red Sox bullpen took over.
The 28-year-old Crawford had to “grind” a little bit in the sixth and seventh frames, and Alex Cora, the manager, liked how the visitors were set up with Justin Slaten and Kenley Jansen for the final two frames, which is why he pulled Crawford after Boston’s 3-0 victory. Crawford was aware of Cora’s point of view, but it didn’t make him any less competitive.
Crawford told reporters, “I wanted more, yeah,” according to MassLive.
It’s possible that Crawford felt a little nervous walking off the mound with Boston holding a one-run lead against the Yankees. But when Jansen took the mound in the ninth, the Red Sox had some breathing room thanks to home run swings by Rafael Devers (again) and Ceddanne Rafaela.
After taking Monday off, Boston, which now leads the Kansas City Royals by one and a half games for the last American League Wild Card slot, will be back at Fenway Park on Tuesday. Starting at 6 p.m. ET, NESN will provide comprehensive coverage of the series opener versus the Oakland Athletics.
