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About two hours before his team opened its season series with the New York Yankees, Boston manager Alex Cora was asked to describe the state of the Red Sox.

With a matter-of-fact tone, Cora simply said: “Not great.”

Garrett Crochet can be considered among the exceptions for the Red Sox, and he will be on the mound Saturday night when the American League East rivals continue their three-game series in New York.

The Red Sox hope Crochet can provide some length for an overworked bullpen after Walker Buehler allowed seven runs (five earned) in two innings in Friday’s 9-6 loss.

Boston trailed twice by seven runs before attempting a late comeback, backed by a two-run homer by Rafael Devers.

“It’s hard to play this way, and obviously the bullpen is taxed,” Cora said after the Red Sox lost for the ninth time in 12 games. “We have to get better.”

Crochet (5-4, 1.98 ERA) has 101 strikeouts and is coming off consecutive double-digit strikeout games. He struck out 11 over 6 2/3 innings when he allowed two runs on five hits at Milwaukee in a 3-2 loss on May 26 and followed that effort by getting 12 strikeouts in seven innings when he allowed one run on five hits during a 3-1 win at the Atlanta Braves on Sunday.

The Red Sox are 7-6 in Crochet’s starts, and he has allowed two earned runs or fewer in his past seven starts and 12 times overall. He also has completed at least seven innings six times this season.

“When he’s on the mound, we feel like we’re going to win every time,” Boston’s Trevor Story said of Crochet after the left-hander’s most recent outing. “He has pitched that way. We haven’t necessarily picked him up offensively. It was nice to do that today.”

Crochet will make his first career start against the Yankees after getting six strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings during three relief appearances with the Chicago White Sox.

The Yankees are attempting to win a ninth series in their past 10 tries after getting 14 hits Friday. Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit a three-run homer, drove in four runs and is 8-for-16 since returning from an oblique injury.

“We can talk about what he does in the clubhouse all day, but I think it’s just the energy he brings on the field,” Yankees captain Aaron Judge said about Chisholm.

Judge had three hits and is batting .397 as the Yankees enter Saturday with 20 wins in their past 27 games.

Ryan Yarbrough (3-0. 2.83 ERA), who averages 88.3 mph on his cutter compared with Crochet’s 96 mph on the four-seam fastball, will start for the Yankees on Saturday.

Since entering the Yankees’ rotation, Yarbrough is 3-0 with a 2.08 ERA in five starts and has allowed two runs or less each time. He earned his second straight win Sunday at Dodger Stadium when he helped the Yankees avoid a sweep by allowing one run on four hits in six innings of a 7-3 win against Los Angeles.

“He’s just one of those guys who has got good stuff,” New York’s DJ LeMahieu said. “He knows what he’s doing out there.”

The left-hander is 5-4 with a 7.09 ERA in 20 career appearances (nine starts) against the Red Sox.

–Field Level Media