Price is making Sox even better
BALTIMORE — After an encouraging but short first start in Chicago last week, David Price announced he was back.
With last night’s sparkling and deep second start, Price proclaimed he’s going to get even better.
At this rate, whatever Price does or says should be taken at face value.
And if he’s right or simply continues to deliver starts like last night, when he limited Baltimore to three hits in the Red Sox’ 5-2 win, they just made the equivalent of a blockbuster deal for an ace just six months after the Sox traded for their last one in Chris Sale.
Yes, Price looks ready to battle for best starter on the staff honors.
He’s come to the rescue of the Red Sox.
“He was outstanding,” said manager John Farrell. “I thought tonight much more consistent location to all his pitches compared to just five days ago over in Chicago. He was able to throw his cutter to both sides of the plate, he threw some really good fastballs in to some big power righthanded hitters to keep them from extending out over the plate, but he was in complete control.
“He got into a great rhythm and every time we scored or the times that we are scoring he’s going out there and putting up zeros and maintaining momentum. A big night for David and a boost for us.”
After three tough losses in this series — two defeats against the Orioles in the first two games and then the loss of second-best starter Eduardo Rodriguez to the disabled list with another knee injury — Price stepped up with a big-time performance that bodes well.
With far better command of all his pitches, Price used an efficient 92 pitches to go through seven full innings plus one batter in the eighth. That’s better than in his first start, when he needed 88 pitches to go five frames, and because of it Price surpassed all expectations, except for probably only his own.
“You’ve got to want that start,” he said. “Obviously, you don’t hope the team loses two games before you pitch, but if that happens to be the case then you want to be able to go out there and to deliver for the team.”
Price didn’t deliver against just any old lineup.
The Orioles have arguably the most dangerous array of hitters in the league, outside of Houston. Price made only one mistake, when Manny Machado launched a light-tower height home run to lead off the seventh inning.
By the time Price left, he had struck out seven batters, walked just one and allowed the one run on three hits — Machado’s blast and a pair of leadoff singles.
Price’s delivery looked smoother than in Chicago, he was crisp and he maintained a fastball into the late innings that topped out at 95 mph.
Farrell said he was not surprised to see Price pitch this well and have such great command, even if it was only his second start of the season.
“You’re talking about a guy who’s had very good command his entire career,” said Farrell. “The fact that he gets his first start out of the way five days ago, right from the get-go, he was delivering pitches to quality areas over the plate, wasn’t missing the glove hardly at all with where (catcher Christian Vazquez) was taking him inside of a particular sequence. He looked very relaxed, very confident, and I thought he was really smooth with his delivery.” Price did not surprise himself. “Just trying to make better pitches — I don’t want to be out there throwing 100 pitches or 90 pitches through five innings, that was eight years ago, that’s when I did that,” said Price. “So I want to get back to just being efficient, getting a lot of early outs and not giving up a whole lot of runs.”
Price did exactly that and looked to be in peak form, yet he still thought there was room for improvement.
“I feel like it’s going to continue to get better,” said Price, who strained his left flexor mass muscle on the last day of February. “You get six to seven starts in spring training before you have start one. That’s my fourth outing with an umpire. Fourth outing with guys on base and stuff of that nature. I expect to get a lot better than this.”
Like every ace, confidence in his abilities is not something Price lacks.
If he feels his results are only going to improve, then it’s great news for him and tremendous news for the Sox.
And if he’s slightly off, they will take that too.
It would still herald the arrival of Price the ace: the perfect solution, arriving just in the nick of time.