Red Sox Ace Crochet Looks to Bounce Back Against Tigers

Boston left-hander aims to rebound from career-worst outing as teams continue series

Apr. 19, 2026 at 7:35pm

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A fragmented, geometric painting depicting the various angles and planes of a baseball pitcher's windup and delivery, with the vibrant colors of the Red Sox and Tigers uniforms.A cubist interpretation of Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet's pitching motion as he looks to bounce back against the Tigers' lineup.Boston Today

Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet will take the mound on Sunday against the Detroit Tigers, looking to bounce back from his worst start of the season. Crochet was roughed up for 11 runs (10 earned) in just 1 2/3 innings in his last outing against the Minnesota Twins. The Red Sox will need Crochet to regain his form as they try to turn around their recent offensive struggles, having scored one or fewer runs in back-to-back games. Detroit will counter with left-hander Framber Valdez, who has had success against Boston in the past.

Why it matters

This game is an important opportunity for Crochet and the Red Sox to get back on track after a tough loss on Saturday. Crochet was the MLB strikeout leader in 2025 and has generally been dominant, so his blowup start was uncharacteristic. The Red Sox offense has also sputtered lately, so they'll need Crochet to give them a quality start to help get the bats going again. For the Tigers, this is a chance to take the series and build on their recent strong play, having won 7 of their last 8 games.

The details

Crochet allowed 11 runs (10 earned) on 9 hits, 3 walks and a hit-by-pitch in just 1 2/3 innings in his last start against the Twins, a career-worst outing. He did not record a single strikeout in that game, after leading the majors with 255 strikeouts in 205 1/3 innings last season. Prior to that, Crochet had allowed just 13 runs over his previous 8 starts, including a postseason appearance in 2025. The Red Sox offense has also struggled lately, scoring 1 or fewer runs in back-to-back games, going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position on Saturday against Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. Detroit will counter with Framber Valdez, who has a 3.10 ERA in 6 career games (4 starts) against Boston.

  • Crochet's last start was on Monday, April 15 against the Minnesota Twins.
  • The Red Sox and Tigers continue their 4-game series on Sunday, April 19 with a 4:35 PM first pitch.

The players

Garrett Crochet

Boston Red Sox left-handed starting pitcher who led the majors with 255 strikeouts in 205 1/3 innings in 2025.

Framber Valdez

Detroit Tigers left-handed starting pitcher who has a 3.10 ERA in 6 career games (4 starts) against the Boston Red Sox.

Willson Contreras

Boston Red Sox first baseman.

Alex Cora

Boston Red Sox manager.

A.J. Hinch

Detroit Tigers manager.

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What they’re saying

“Trying to look at it like I would any start. It's tough to say following the last one, but that's the only way to separate.”

— Garrett Crochet, Boston Red Sox pitcher

“You have to chip away with aces. You have to make sure when you have your chances to cash in, get it close enough.”

— Alex Cora, Boston Red Sox manager

“A 4-0 game in the big leagues, we can turn it around anytime. We couldn't find the way (against Skubal).”

— Willson Contreras, Boston Red Sox first baseman

“I don't think any of us are too concerned about our road record (3-9). Obviously, it needs to get better and needs to improve. We need to win games on the road, but it's such a small sample size. ... We're just trying to win every single day we show up to the yard.”

— Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers pitcher

“It was a well-played game all around. I thought our at-bats were really tough early.”

— A.J. Hinch, Detroit Tigers manager

What’s next

If Crochet can bounce back with a strong outing, it would go a long way in helping the Red Sox get their offense going again. A win would also even the series against the Tigers, setting up an important rubber match on Monday.

The takeaway

This game represents a critical opportunity for Garrett Crochet and the Boston Red Sox to get back on track after a tough stretch. Crochet will need to regain his dominant form from 2025 to help stabilize the Red Sox rotation, while the offense will look to break out of its recent slump against a tough Tigers pitching staff.