NEW YORK -- Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet made a promise to manager Alex Cora during the team's workout on Monday ahead of his start in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series against the New York Yankees .
Cora, the pitcher vowed, was going to make just one call to the bullpen on Tuesday, straight to closer Aroldis Chapman to have him finish off a win over their rivals. Just one.
"That's how it worked out," Cora said.
Crochet made good on his guarantee by delivering a dominant performance in his first career postseason start, stifling the potent Yankees lineup with a career-high 117 pitches over 7⅔ innings, before Chapman took the ball and executed a bases-loaded high-wire act to record a four-out save in Boston's 3-1 comeback victory at Yankee Stadium.
The Red Sox will have