Monday night in Minneapolis was one to forget for Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet. The left-handed All-Star, who was a Cy Young runner-up just last season, endured a brutal outing against the Minnesota Twins, surrendering 11 runs (10 earned) on nine hits in just 1 2/3 innings of work.

The Twins' offense came out swinging, tagging Crochet for four runs in a 31-pitch first inning. The second inning was even more disastrous, as Minnesota piled on seven more runs. The assault included a three-run homer from Victor Caratini and a solo shot from Ryan Kreidler, which finally ended Crochet's night with the Red Sox in an 11-0 hole.

This historically rough start marked the first time a Red Sox pitcher has ever allowed 10 runs in less than two innings. For Crochet, it was a stark departure from his solid early-season form, sending his ERA soaring from 3.12 to 7.58. He failed to record a single strikeout for the first time in his 68 career starts.

After the 13-6 loss, Crochet was candid about his struggles. "My command, as a whole, has been spotty," he admitted. "I’ve gotten away with it a little this early in the year, but tonight they made me pay. It was weak contact, hard contact, walks, hit by pitch — a little bit of everything."

Red Sox manager Alex Cora faced the difficult task of balancing his pitcher's well-being with the practical needs of a long series. "As a manager, it’s hard to watch," Cora said. "At the same time, you still have to cover innings and keep the bullpen... fresh."

For now, Crochet's plan is simple: flush this one and move on. "I’m just going to flush it as best I can and move on to the next one," he stated. Every pitcher has a night where nothing works, but for an athlete of Crochet's caliber, the focus will quickly shift to rebounding and finding his dominant form again.