Red Sox

Red Sox pitcher Kutter Crawford ‘couldn’t believe’ he was used as a runner

Crawford scored the first run of his MLB career Tuesday night.

By Khari Thompson

April 19, 2023

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Email
• Email
• 1

Kutter Crawford, who pitched 6 1/3 innings of relief on Monday night, scored on Reese McGuire’s game-tying 10th inning single after being used as an automatic runner.

The Red Sox were out of available bench players, and the under the new rules a runner has to be placed at second base in extra-innings.

“When they called my name in the bullpen, I couldn’t believe it,” Crawford said, according to MLB.com. “I asked [bullpen coach Kevin Walker], ‘Are you serious? Like me?’ He said, ‘Yeah get your legs loose, you’re pinch-running, and I said, ‘All right, well, here we go.’”

It was the first run scored of Crawford’s career. The 27-year-old has yet to take a Major League at bat. He’s appeared in at least one MLB game with the Red Sox every season since 2021.

After Crawford and Kiké Hernandez scored on McGuire’s base hit, Alex Verdugo drove in McGuire for the winning run. The Red Sox won 5-5, and brought their record back to .500.