Baseball is all cinema! You want the thrill, you want to witness poetic justice, head-on for a baseball game. The game between the Red Sox and White Sox on Sunday was one of those dramatic games that everyone loves. Garrett Crochet returning to Guaranteed Rate Field, nearly no-hitting his former team, the White Sox, as a newly minted Red Sox starter? That’s pure baseball drama. Fans were left spellbound by how Crochet came back not just to pitch, but to dominate, after getting traded to Boston in the offseason.

In a game that nearly saw him achieve a no-hitter, Crochet delivered an outstanding performance, pitching 7⅓ innings, allowing just one hit—a single by Chase Meidroth, who was ironically part of the trade that sent Crochet to Boston—and striking out 11 batters. Well, someone who got traded for Crochet to the White Sox ended the latter’s no-hit in the eighth inning. Crochet’s dominance in the game was such that it even made the White Sox insider, Jesse Rogers, backtrack. 

“In kind of a predictable set of circumstances, Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet is no-hitting his former team through 7 innings. He’s thrown 90 pitches, striking out 11. It’s the longest no-hit bid this season.” Rogers doesn’t sound moralized enough. If that was not enough, Jeff Passan of ESPN responded, “Your fault“.

Crochet improved to 2-1 on the season with his second victory while wearing a Red Sox uniform. In his four outings with the Red Sox so far, he has held opponents to a .165 batting average while recording a 1.38 ERA and 28 strikeouts. Well, that’s ace-level dominance. A Cy Young-worthy season might be on the cards if he keeps this up. Additionally, he’s doing it, right after switching leagues and roles (reliever-to-starter transformation). Even more impressive.

Enough to make the fans go gaga with the transformation.

Fans are stunned by Red Sox star pitcher’s no-hitter

When baseball offers a thrilling product, how come the fans keep quiet? They are equally spellbound by seeing Grochet’s dominance over his former team.

While Boston now has the upper hand by having Grochet on their side, it is nothing but a bad buck for the White Sox. “Jinxed“, one fan reacted to what Meidroth brings to Crochet. Trading someone just before the regular season and getting steamrolled by the same is bad luck at its worst. It also proved the tactical blunder of the White Sox to trade someone with a 3.58 ERA and 209 strikeouts over 146 innings. However, ending someone’s no-hitter by the 8th inning is hard luck.

Considering how the White Sox performed last year, achieving the tag of a team with the most losses in a season, it’s no surprise that Crochet’s impressive performance was also not enough. “Crochet might throw a no-hitter and still lose,” one fan reacted about his stint with the White Sox. Well, this time the scenario is different, Boston got the game by 3-1.

It’s surely demoralizing for a White Sox fan to witness the onslaught by Crochet. Will it work if they utter his name three times? One fan hopes so. Uttering “Crochet is throwing a no-hitter” might jinx the pitcher. Well, it worked and Crochet just stopped before making the no-hitter.

“Garrett Crochet no-hitter attempt is broken up in storybook fashion,” one user commented. Crochet was flirting with a no-hitter deep into the 8th inning, and you know who breaks up the no-hitter. The very same Chase Meidroth, who was one of the prospects sent to the White Sox in the trade for Crochet. Literal poetry. So, yes, you love to see it. Or hate to, depending on your team. Either way, that’s cinema.

Is Red Sox skipper Alex Cora to be blamed for Crochet missing the no-hitter? Oh man, no one is alone in feeling the same. However, Cora might have some other arguments. Might be he was trying to avoid Crochet facing the lineup a third or fourth time. Anyway, missing a no-hitter in the 8th inning is a no-brainer.

So—finally. The Red Sox snapped their losing streak with that 3–1 win over the White Sox. Do you think this is the start of a bounce-back stretch?