Skip nails why Price annoyed
RED SOX NOTEBOOK
Red Sox manager John Farrell yesterday extinguished any speculation about a beef with David Price by revealing that the pitcher was dealing with a cracked fingernail on his middle finger during Saturday’s loss to the Los Angeles Angels.
Price’s next start is scheduled for Thursday against the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park and Farrell expects him to be ready.
“Everything points to that, yes,” Farrell said before the Sox again lost to the Angels, 4-2, at Fenway.
Price, who doesn’t speak to the media on days he doesn’t pitch, could have easily kept things to himself after he was removed from the game after throwing 103 pitches and allowing two earned runs on six hits in six innings. He was making just his sixth start since returning from the disabled list after an elbow issue.
Instead, Price referred to “a lot of stuff going on right now” in his postgame media availability. He squelched worries about his elbow or a blister, but didn’t get into specifics. Some were wondering if Price had a disagreement with Farrell about being removed from the game because the pitcher was spotted chatting with pitching coach Carl Willis in the dugout after the top of the sixth.
Price may have wanted to pitch the seventh, but Farrell felt it was better to avoid exacerbating the injury.
“He’s a fierce competitor. He’s of the mindset to complete and finish games,” Farrell said. “That’s how he’s wired, that’s how he goes through his work between starts to prepare for that physically. And we love that about him. And when you don’t achieve what you hoped to or in that case the length of a game, because I thought he threw the ball with a lot of power (Saturday) night, he wants more. And we love that about him.”
Not down and out
Andrew Benintendi, who was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double yesterday in the fourth inning, is tied for the league lead in outs made on the bases with seven, according to baseball-reference.com. Don’t expect that stat to discourage the rookie left fielder.
“Maybe I’ve been thrown out seven times but how many times have I gone, or anybody for that matter, stolen or gotten an extra base? That’s going to happen when you’re aggressive on the basepaths,” Benintendi said. “So we’d rather take aggressive outs than kind of just sit back and let things happen.”. . .
Designated hitter Hanley Ramirez was hit on the left knee by a Parker
Bridwell pitch in the second inning. He was checked by the trainer and stayed in the game. . . .
Reliever Joe Kelly took a hard grounder off the back of his right calf in the eighth inning but continued.
Lin’s field debut
Infielder Tzu-Wei Lin, who made his major league debut as a pinch runner Saturday, played the field for the first time yesterday at third base when he replaced Deven Marrero to start the eighth inning. Lin handled two balls flawlessly in the eighth. In the ninth, he bounced a throw to first base but Mitch
Moreland handled it for the out. . . .
Farrell admitted he made contact with umpire Bill Miller during their argument over a balk Saturday.
“There was contact made. . . . The tip of my finger touched his shirt,” Farrell said.
If MLB is mulling penalizing Farrell, there was no announcement yesterday.
E-Rod heads north
Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, who last pitched June 1 and has been on the disabled list because of a subluxation of his right knee after falling in the bullpen in Baltimore, will make a rehab start at Double-A Portland on Thursday. Farrell said Rodriguez would be limited to 75-80 pitches. . . .
Lefty Brian Johnson, out since June 14 with a left shoulder impingement, is still several bullpen sessions away from game action. Farrell said Johnson threw all fastballs in a bullpen session.
“Came out of it feeling good,” Farrell said. . . .
NESN broadcaster Jerry Remy received a loud ovation toward the end of the seventh-inning stretch when he was shown on the scoreboard and fans were informed he’ll be undergoing surgery related to his lung cancer today.