NEW YORK — Garrett Crochet was in Boston’s dugout on the day before the playoffs began when manager Alex Cora picked up the phone to the bullpen to contact a member of the front office.
“`Tomorrow you’re going to make one call to the bullpen,’” Cora recalled the pitcher telling him.
“I said: `Maybe two,’” the manager responded.
“He’s like: `No, no, no. One. It’s going to be straight to Chappy,’” Cora said.
Crochet backed up his bravado with his pitches. He threw 117 of them, most in a postseason game in six years, besting Max Fried and the New York Yankees with a throwback performance on the mound.
The left-hander struck out 11 and walked none over 7 2/3 innings while allowing four hits as the Red Sox rallied for a 3-1 victory Tuesday night in an AL wild-card series opener. When he wa