Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet might really be everything you want in an ace. Crochet has the physical profile, the elite velocity, and the nasty secondary pitch that usually come with an ace, but most importantly, he has the killer mindset required to raise his level during the most important games.

Red Sox fans learned that last detail about Crochet on Tuesday night as the left-hander delivered a gem for Boston in a critical Game 1 ALWC win over the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

In seven 2/3 innings (117 pitches), Crochet allowed just four hits, one run (a solo shot to Anthony Volpe), and tallied 11 strikeouts without walking a single Yankee. It was precisely the kind of marquee, playoff performance the Red Sox envisioned back in December when they traded for Crochet

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