Garrett Crochet nearly etched his name in history upon his return to Rate Field on Sunday afternoon, marking his first visit since joining the Boston Red Sox this past offseason. Formerly with the Chicago White Sox, Crochet received a warm reception from fans in Chicago.

In gratitude, he showcased his prowess by delivering five flawless innings and carrying a no-hit performance into the eighth, only to have it broken by rookie Chase Meidroth. Ironically, Meidroth was one of the four prospects involved in the trade that brought Crochet to Boston from Chicago in December. During his third at-bat against Crochet, the 23-year-old infielder dashed the left-hander’s historic hopes with a single to left field.

“I found it pretty amusing,” Crochet shared with reporters following Boston’s 3-1 victory over Chicago, as reported by NESN. “I don’t have much to add. He put a good swing on it. That’s all there is to it.” Crochet continued, “Reflecting on that swing, I’d say I did manage to fool him a bit. But he’s skilled with the bat. Doesn’t miss often. I got him with the sweeper in his second at-bat, and I wasn’t keen on using it again, opting instead to play the sinker game with him.

The cutter seemed like the right choice.” Everything appeared to be in Crochet’s favor. When he took the mound for the bottom of the eighth, his pitch count was a manageable 76. Boston’s offense didn’t inflict much damage, but it sufficed for Crochet’s standards, and Red Sox manager Alex Cora was willing to adapt. “I kept glancing at the scoreboard thinking, ‘Oh, this will be tough,'” Cora told reporters, per NESN. “Honestly, I’ve never been so relieved to see the opponent get a hit.

When Chase got a hit, I thought, ‘Alright, we can move on.'” Crochet finished with 7 1/3 innings, allowing no earned runs on one hit and a walk, while striking out a season-high 11 batters. The 25-year-old maintained his composure throughout, which was no surprise to Cora. “He was very composed all weekend,” Cora revealed. “He didn’t make a fuss about returning here. He just wanted to pitch. He’ll face them again either Friday or Saturday (at Fenway Park).

I think he values the opportunity they gave him to become a major league player. They helped him a lot, both physically and in terms of using his pitch repertoire.” Crochet earned his second win in a Red Sox uniform, improving to 2-1 for the season. He has now posted a 1.38 ERA with 28 strikeouts, holding opponents to a .165 batting average over four starts with Boston. “That’s why we brought him here, right?” Cora remarked. “It happened early in the season during the losing streak, and he pitched brilliantly, helping us play better afterward.

Today was crucial for us to get a win and move forward. He was outstanding — truly outstanding. His performance, midway through the game, really took off, which is what we anticipated.” — The last Red Sox pitcher to achieve a no-hitter was three-time World Series champion Jon Lester, who no-hit the Kansas City Royals on May 19, 2008, at Fenway Park, ending a 52-year drought for left-handed Red Sox pitchers achieving this challenging feat. — Crochet’s near no-hit bid was the second-longest since the expansion era against a former team.

Adding to the irony, he follows ex-Red Sox pitcher Corey Kluber, who pitched a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers as a New York Yankee in 2021. — Boston avoided a sweep, improving their record to 8-9 with the series finale win. — The Red Sox resume action Monday night, opening a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays to conclude their road trip. The first pitch from George M. Steinbrenner Field is slated for 7:05 p.m. ET, with a full hour of pregame coverage available live on NESN.