Lefty phenom does the South Side proud
Let’s hope it is not Garret Crochet’s last appearance in a White Sox uniform (wait, whatever that tan abomination was, it was not a White Sox uniform), but yea or nay the first-year starter did us proud, with a scoreless fourth inning contributing to the American League’s 5-3 win in the Midsummer Classic.
Crochet took the ball in the fourth with the game tied, 3-3, and avoided throwing a single strike to leadoff batter in the inning Christian Yelich, never an unwise strategy. Crochet got a fastball called a strike that was off the corner to start the at-bat and later got Yeli to bite at cutters low and away; with the count 2-2, the Brewer pushed a soft cutter away to third base and was retired on the ground out.
Alex Bohm took a slider well away and off the plate, then inside-outed a 98 mph fastball to right field for a crisp single — the only damage that would be done off of Crochet.
Next, up stepped another Home Run Derby hero, champion Teoscar Hernández, and our southpaw went on the attack: a cutter low, then two cutter strikes on the outer half, one looking one spit on. Down 1-2, Crochet dialed up a 98 mph fastball high and Hernández could not resist, taking the whiff.
Jurickson Profar ended the inning, getting a nice fastball at 2-2 but Eloying it to shortstop for the easy out at first. All told, Crochet threw 12 of 18 pitches for strikes and saw his effort topped only on the AL side by Mason Miller and Clinton Yates (both throwing an inning, with two strikeouts).
As for the scoring in the game, it was a wild third inning for both sides, with the NL drawing first blood. Tanner Houck got mauled by the Nationals, giving up frame opener singles by Profar and Ketel Marte before Shohei Ohtani stepped up for a three-run homer.
Trea Turner singled to keep Houck on the ropes, but Bryce Harper grounded into a double play and a K ended the assault.
The AL struck right back, thanks to a two-run single from Juan Soto that the slugger heads-upped into a double due to the NL’s lolligagging defense:
That extra base from Soto turned out HUGE as David Fry converted him home with a two-out single to tie.
The only other scoring came in the fifth, so of course it was decisive. With two outs, Anthony Santander singled and Jarren Duran homered.
The Nationals outhit their counterparts, 10-6, but for all the traffic, not much stuck. The Americans converted numerous outs on the bathpaths, as despite 10 hits and a walk the NL left just six on base.
