Kutter Crawford was spectacular on the mound for the Boston Red Sox on Saturday evening, helping stump the Kansas City Royals offense at Fenway Park.
Crawford mowed down Kansas City through the first seven innings, surrendering one hit to that point. Once the eighth inning rolled around, Red Sox manager Alex Cora gave Crawford the green light — marking the first time in Crawford’s four-year career in which he’s pitched into the eighth inning.
“I just gotta keep giving myself those opportunities,” Crawford said after Boston’s 5-0 win, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “AC sent me back out there and obviously the lead-off single there and that was it. But I’m thankful that he did send me back out there in that situation. I just gotta keep giving myself those opportunities to pitch deep into ballgames.”
The right-hander pitched seven-plus shutout innings, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out four batters, marking Crawford’s eighth consecutive six-plus-inning start. Since Boston’s lineup had no answers for Kansas City southpaw Cole Ragans on Friday night, Crawford’s afternoon gem came especially handy for the Red Sox.
Boston’s win gave the team a one-game cushion ahead of the Royals for the final spot in the American League wild-card standings, guaranteeing the Red Sox will hold a playoff spot going into the MLB All-Star break.
“His presence is very dominant out there when he’s attacking the strike zone,” Red Sox catcher Reese McGuire said of Crawford, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “He had his command today with all of his pitches. We were going all sorts of the place in different counts, getting ahead of a good offensive team like that on the other side.”
Although the first half of the season has fared well for Crawford, and Boston’s pitching staff in general, the 28-year-old isn’t worried about cooling off with a well-earned breather while teammates Jarren Duran and Tanner Houck attend the Midsummer Classic.
“It’s not like I’m not gonna pick up a baseball for the next four or five days,” Crawford explained, per NESN. “It’s gonna be good for the body and I don’t think it’s gonna be too tough.”
