CHICAGO — On a chilly Sunday afternoon at Rate Field, the White Sox dropped a 3-1 decision to the Red Sox — but not before a dramatic moment unfolded in the eighth inning.
With one out in the frame, Boston starter Garrett Crochet was flirting with a no-hitter. The left-hander, formerly a top pick and bullpen weapon for the White Sox, had been nearly flawless, allowing just a single walk through the first seven innings. His dominance on the mound was a reminder of the potential he began to fulfill in Chicago before becoming a front-line starter in Boston.
Crochet’s rise, however, came to an abrupt close for the White Sox during the 2024 Winter Meetings, when he was sent to the Red Sox in exchange for a promising package of prospects: Chase Meidroth, Kyle Teel (Chicago’s No. 2 prospect), Braden Montgomery (No. 5), and Wikelman Gonzalez (No. 18).
So, of course, it was Meidroth — now wearing black and white — who stepped up to the plate and broke up Crochet’s no-hit bid with a clean single past a diving Trevor Story. Talk about irony.
“It’s just the nature of the game,” Meidroth said simply.
“Yeah, kind of funny when you think about it,” Crochet admitted. “He put a good swing on it, that’s all there is to say.”
That single marked the end of Crochet’s day at 96 pitches, but it gave Chicago a spark. Brooks Baldwin followed with a base hit of his own, sending Meidroth to third. A throwing error allowed Baldwin to take second, and Matt Thaiss then brought Meidroth home to cut the deficit to 2-1. With the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position and one out, the Sox had their shot — but strikeouts and a flyout stranded both.
“We’re still pushing every inning, every pitch,” Baldwin said. “Scoreboard doesn’t change our approach.”
“To be no-hit that deep into the game, and still have a chance to win late — that says a lot about our group,” manager Will Venable added. “The guys kept battling, and we were right there.”
On the mound, Shane Smith delivered a strong performance of his own, matching Crochet for much of the afternoon. Smith allowed just two runs across six innings, fanning three and walking two.
But the spotlight remained on the Crochet-Meidroth moment — especially with Meidroth breaking up the no-no in just his third Major League game, and in his first-ever plate appearance against the very pitcher he was traded for.
“Chase is a tough competitor,” Baldwin said. “He doesn’t back down. He’ll take his walks, put the ball in play, and do his job on defense.”
“He was locked in,” Venable said of the at-bat. “He’s shown that every time we’ve seen him step in.”
Fans might not have to wait long for a rematch — both Smith and Crochet are lined up to potentially face off again next weekend in Boston.
“Honestly, I preferred when Crochet was on our side,” joked Jonathan Cannon, a friend and former rotation-mate of the left-hander.
“I couldn’t be happier for him,” added White Sox pitching coach Ethan Katz. “That contract he signed — he earned every bit of it. He’s one of the most talented pitchers I’ve ever had the chance to work with. Watching him evolve from 2021 to 2024 has been something special.”
