BOSTON — When a pitcher fails, sometimes the reasons aren’t easy to identify. It could involve pitch mix, or approach, or command.
But there was little mystery about what happened to Kutter Crawford at Fenway Park Friday night.
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“This is the big leagues,” explained Crawford after he allowed six runs on seven hits in a 7-2 Red Sox’ loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. “If you leave pitches over the middle of the plate in neutral or hitter’s counts, they’re going to hit ‘em.”
And indeed they did. Of the seven hits off him, four were for extra-base hits. That doesn’t count a spectacular diving catch by Ceddanne Rafaela in the left-center gap to rob Joey Ortiz of a double (or triple) in the second inning. He lasted just 4.1 innings, marking only the second time this season that he failed to get through at least five innings.
Crawford didn’t mince words. He was unsatisfied with his performance.
“Pretty terrible, to be honest,” he concluded. “I wasn’t able to make quality pitches in certain counts and they put some good swings on balls. But overall, just not a good outing by me.”
His sweeper, which has been an important pitch for him in the first two months, was decidedly subpar on this night. That was evident in the third inning when, with runners at the corners and one out, Brewers catcher William Contreras hit a rocket laser into the Monster Seats that hit one the back walls, caromed back and took out a full tub of popcorn, to comedic effect.
Surprisingly, for someone who was tagged for six runs, Crawford didn’t find himself falling behind a lot of Milwaukee hitters. To the contrary, he was often ahead early in counts, only to see the Brewers get even and then take advantage.
“I was able to get ahead 0-2, 1-2, but then I didn’t make competitive pitches in those counts,” he lamented, “and in deep counts, not a very good job by me.”
It didn’t help matters that the Brewers came into Friday ranked fifth in MLB in both runs scored and OPS.
“They’re good,” confirmed Crawford. “They compete every single pitch. They didn’t chase a whole lot and they make you get in the zone.”
Through the first five starts to the season, Crawford never allowed more than a single earned run. But over the last six, he’s now yielded for or more runs in three different outings.
“The righties are hurting me right now,” said Crawford, “and i have to change my sequences up with them.”
Manager Alex Cora was more philosophical about Crawford’s recent downturn and saw no reason to be worried.
“(That’s) the season,” he shrugged. “He’s a good pitcher. He is. He’s going to have days like this and he’s going to go six and they’re going to score three. I don’t think there’s something going on. I just think today he wasn’t unable to put guys away in those middle counts. That pushed the pitch count up and we weren’t able to do it tonight.”
