Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet has liner skip off his nose and glove

BOSTON (AP) - Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet had a close call Sunday when a liner skipped off his glove and nose on its way to second base for a groundout.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora rushed to the mound with a team trainer after the left-hander narrowly missed a direct hit off the bat of Minnesota shortstop Carlos Correa in the fourth inning. The ball skimmed off Crochet’s glove as he turned his head before it hit his nose and continued its path.

Cora and the trainer asked for a towel and Crochet appeared to possibly have a small trickle of blood coming out as his blew his nose.

He stayed in and struck out the next batter, Jonah Bride, with a sweeper. He then gave up Brooks Lee's single to center before Harrison Bader bounced to short, ending the inning.

Crochet was pulled after the fifth inning, throwing 89 pitches and giving up a run on four hits with six strikeouts.

The Red Sox picked up the lefty in a trade with the White Sox during the offseason and he agreed to a $170-million, six-year extension with Boston on April 1.