Garrett Crochet, Carlos Narváez Team Up For Red Sox's First ABS Strikeout

There's a first time for everything

Feb 26, 2026; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Garrett Crochet doesn't typically need much help to rack up strikeouts, but he'll absolutely take it if it's free.

Thursday's opening day meant the automated ball-strike system (ABS) was in play for the first time in Boston Red Sox history, so if Crochet or his catcher Carlos Narváez felt that home plate umpire Dan Iassogna gypped Boston on a call, they could finally do something about it.

In the fourth inning, we saw the ABS system in effect for the first time in Boston franchise history, and Narváez was the one to use it to great effect.

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Watch Crochet, Narváez win ABS challenge for strike three

Feb 26, 2026; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) pitches in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

On a 2-2 pitch to designated hitter Eugenio Suárez, Crochet painted the lower edge of the inside corner with a 91 mph cutter. Iassogna evidently thought the pitch was low, but Narváez and Crochet had both already taken a step toward the dugout, because they were so certain that the inning was over.

After Narváez tapped the top of his helmet to signify a challenge, we all got to watch as the first-ever successful overturned ball-strike call in Red Sox history resulted in the end of Crochet's fourth shutout inning.

Garrett Crochet: Confirmed filthy by ABS ✅ 🤮 pic.twitter.com/yhtYL98SvS

— NESN (@NESN) March 26, 2026

Crochet was not, however, the first pitcher to pick up a strikeout on an ABS reversal. That honor belonged to New York Mets newcomer Freddy Peralta, who punched out the Pittsburgh Pirates' Oneil Cruz in the top of the third inning at Citi Field, thanks to an assist from catcher Francisco Alvarez.

The first-ever ABS challenge during the regular season came from a batter, New York Yankees shortstop José Caballero, on Wednesday night. Caballero saw strike one upheld in a fourth-inning at-bat against the San Francisco Giants' Logan Webb.

Through four innings on Thursday, Crochet had one hit allowed, four strikeouts, and five whiffs. He's nasty enough to get hitters out without much help from technology, but if it helps save his pitch count every now and then at the end of the inning, ABS can still be a nice competitive advantage.