CHICAGO — The atmosphere at Rate Field was tense as 18,840 spectators watched Red Sox star pitcher Garrett Crochet aim for a place in history, taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning on Sunday. Perhaps no one felt the pressure more than Alex Cora, the manager who had never witnessed a no-hitter in his 989 games with Boston.

Crochet, who pitched 7 ⅓ innings without allowing a hit, came closer than any other starter during Cora’s time at the helm. As Red Sox enthusiasts watched Crochet chase the team’s first no-hitter since Jon Lester in 2008, Cora was aware that his decision could make him the villain of the day. So when Chase Meidroth — one of the players traded to the White Sox for Crochet in December — managed a single off Crochet’s 96th pitch, Cora breathed a sigh of relief.

Cora seemed poised to take the ball from Crochet almost before Jarren Duran had returned it to the infield. It was Garrett Whitlock’s turn to maintain a 2-0 lead and ensure the Red Sox left the South Side with at least one victory. Cora had assured Crochet he could continue until a hit was allowed, but as Crochet’s pitch count neared the mid-nineties, that promise was close to being broken. “Decisions have to be made. It’s tough,” said Cora.

“You’ve got a chance to achieve something special, but you also need to consider the season as a whole. Losing him would be challenging. He kept saying he felt good, but you have to consider everything. That’s the tough part of this job.” Crochet had thrown 102 and 107 pitches in his last two outings, respectively, but it was hard to imagine Cora letting him reach 120 pitches in his fourth start of a 162-game season.

Without Meidroth’s single, Crochet might have entered the ninth inning in triple digits. Though he said he felt good enough for “five more innings,” he acknowledged a difficult conversation with Cora might have been inevitable. “My workload has been pretty high lately, but I felt good today and was ready to keep going,” Crochet said. Meidroth’s single, slipping past Trevor Story’s dive, made the decision straightforward for Cora, and after the Red Sox secured a 3-1 win, they celebrated Crochet’s remarkable performance without any controversy.

Crochet lowered his ERA to 1.38, striking out 11, walking one, and allowing just one significant hit. “I felt pretty good,” he said. “I was aware of the no-hitter since the first inning. That’s just how I am, a blessing and a curse. I focused on the zone, stopped thinking about strikeouts, and still got a few.” Crochet’s exceptional performance was under unique circumstances; it was his first time facing his former team and pitching at Rate Field as a visitor. Although the lefty repeatedly said he wasn’t overly focused on the start and appreciated his five seasons with the White Sox, moving on wasn’t difficult.

He wasn’t overly excited when the game began but still delivered a show for fans who applauded him as he exited in the eighth. “I’m sure there’s a little extra motivation, but he always has that in him,” Story said. “He’s always at 100. I didn’t see anything different. He’s always like that.” Crochet’s day will be remembered for his near brush with baseball immortality, marking Boston’s deepest no-hit attempt since 2016. Importantly, it was a standout performance for a team that had lost five of six games, including two to the White Sox. “That’s why he is who he is,” Story said. “And we desperately needed it. He stepped up and delivered. We needed a stopper, and that’s what he is.”