Price to pitch on short rest

HOUSTON — The Red Sox will try to lock down the American League pennant with a most curious recipe: David Price on short rest.

The $217-million lefthander will start AL Championship Series Game 5 against the Astros Thursday night at Minute Maid Park, with Boston holding a 3-1 lead in games, because the team’s ace Chris Sale needs more time to recover from a stomach ailment that hospitalized him on Sunday night.

“He still feels weak,” Red Sox Cora said of Sale, before Boston outlasted Houston, 8-6, in Game 4. “He lost some weight. I know that’s hard to believe but yeah, he did.

“He didn’t throw a bullpen today. He’s feeling better compared to [Tuesday], but physically, he’s not there yet. So I think if necessary, he’ll pitch Game 6 [on Saturday]. He feels that he’ll be ready for that one. And we’ll go from there.”

After the Red Sox’s win, Cora announced that the team would start Price, who started Game 2 Sunday night at Fenway Park and allowed four runs in 4¹/3 innings pitched, helping his team win, 7-5, for the first time in his 11 career postseason starts. Price warmed up during Wednesday night’s win, only to never enter the game.

The rail-thin lefthander Sale beat the Yankees in AL Division Series Game 1 at Fenway Park, and then threw an inning of relief in their ALDS Game 4 clincher at Yankee Stadium. He started ALCS Game 1 against the Astros at Fenway, giving up two runs over four innings as he labored through 86 pitches, and it was the next day when he wound up hospitalized.

A Game 6 start — which the Red Sox are hoping to make unnecessary with a Game 5 victory — would give Sale six days of rest.