Garrett Crochet has the worst start of his career

The WEI Afternoons podcast dissects Garrett Crochet's disastrous start in a 13-6 loss to the Twins, calling it the worst of his career—11 runs allowed in just 1.2 innings, with no strikeouts and a plummeting ERA from under 3 to nearly 8. Hosts Andy and Fitzy express shock and disbelief, describing the outing as 'laughable' and 'the most uncomfortable thing I've ever watched.' They debate whether Red Sox manager Alex Cora made a poor decision by leaving Crochet in after the first inning, especially given the pitcher's diminished velocity across all pitches—cutter, sinker, fastball, and sweeper—all down by 1-1.6 mph. While acknowledging defensive miscues by third baseman Caleb Durbin and Trevor Story contributed to the meltdown, the focus remains on Crochet’s performance. The hosts question the team’s overall readiness, linking it to a lack of spring training preparation, with issues across pitching, hitting, and defense. They explore fatigue as a possible factor, given Crochet’s heavy workload in 2025 and his previous coddling in Chicago, but ultimately conclude this was not a minor blip—it’s a crisis that threatens his Cy Young chances early in the season. The episode ends with a call for listeners to weigh in on whether Crochet’s poor outing should be flushed or treated as a red flag.