Crochet bests Fried in pitchers’ duel as Red Sox snatch Game 1 from Yankees

NEW YORK — In the span of 24 hours at last December’s MLB winter meetings in Dallas, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees each secured an ace left-hander to lead their respective team back to baseball’s promised land.

New York signed free agent Max Fried, outbidding Boston, among other suitors. The following day, the Red Sox acquired Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox for a massive prospect haul. The two American League titans committed millions to these two arms — and in Boston’s case, a massive prospect haul before ultimately extending Crochet in April — in pursuit of October glory.

Barely eight months later, the Red Sox and Yankees deployed them in a stunning wild-card Game 1 that was a pitchers’ duel until Fried departed.

Then, it wasn’t much of a duel at all, as the Yank