The Red Sox will turn to ace Garrett Crochet to open the season for the second consecutive year. Crochet had a career season in 2025, finishing second in AL Cy Young voting after leading the league with 255 strikeouts and posting an 18-5 record with a 2.59 ERA.
He struggled in spring training action, finishing with a 7.36 ERA over four starts. The big lefty didn’t sound too concerned.
“Last year, good spring, bad first start,” he said. “This year, bad spring. Nothing changes for me.”
Get Starting Point
With top starter Hunter Greene sidelined with elbow stiffness, the Reds will turn to lefthander Andrew Abbott, who was a first-time All-Star in 2025.
First pitch in Cincinnati is set for 4:10 p.m., and you can catch the game on NESN. Here’s a preview.
RED SOX (0-0): Anthony LF, Story SS, Duran DH, Contreras 1B, Durbin 3B, Abreu RF, Kiner-Falefa 2B, Narváez C, Rafaela CF
Pitching: LHP Garrett Crochet
REDS (0-0): Friedl CF, McLain 2B, De La Cruz SS, Stewart 1B, Suárez DH, Steer LF, Stephenson C, Marte RF, Hayes 3B
Pitching: LHP Andrew Abbott
Time: 4:10 p.m.
TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7
Red Sox vs. Abbott: Willson Contreras 3-11, Jarren Duran 1-3, Caleb Durbin 0-5, Isiah Kiner-Falefa 0-3, Andruw Monasterio 2-14, Ceddanne Rafaela 0-2, Connor Wong 1-2, Masataka Yoshida 0-2
Reds vs. Crochet: Elly De La Cruz 1-5, TJ Friedl 1-3, Ke’Bryan Hayes 0-1, Nathaniel Lowe 1-5, Matt McLain 2-3, Dane Myers 2-5, Spencer Steer 1-5, Tyler Stephenson 1-2, Eugenio Suárez 0-1
Stat of the day: Alex Cora has managed the third-most games in Red Sox history (1,134) and can tie Terry Francona for second (1,296) this season.
Notes: Crochet had a 0.57 ERA in five spring training starts last season then lasted only five innings on Opening Day, putting seven runners on base and allowing two runs. … “The success that I had last year will make teams game plan a little bit for me and I’ve got to be ready to combat that,” Crochet said. “You’ve got to come in, earn your stripes every year.” … Francona is expected to counter Crochet’s southpaw delivery by loading the Cincinnati lineup with right-handed hitters, though speedster TJ Friedl still is projected to lead off. … Francona, who managed the Red Sox to World Series titles in 2004 and 2007, emphasized a shift in the Reds’ mentality for 2026. “I’ve told our players — it’s time,” Francona said. “Are we younger than some other teams? Yeah. That doesn’t mean we can’t go toe-to-toe.”
Amin Touri can be reached at [email protected].
