Price points to October
But today is next major step
The potential is there for a gem to be thrown by David Price at Fenway Park in the Red Sox’ home opener today against Tampa Bay.
It’ll be just a few ticks above freezing. Batters are notoriously late with their swings during April games, and Price is throwing as well as he has in April since 2015, when he finished second in American League Cy Young voting and had a 2.45 ERA.
With the Red Sox coming home as perhaps the hottest team in the league, Price — starting the home opener for the second time since joining the Red Sox in 2016 — has a chance to set the tone for the young season and continue the strong start he had last week.
“It’s absolutely an honor,” Price said. “Looking forward to doing it again. I got to do it in 2016. It didn’t go the way I hoped it was going to go. To get to do it in 2018, I’m looking forward to it.
“I threw the ball really well (in my first start). I’ll go out there and dominate. That’s the plan.”
Does he have to dominate to earn a warm reception in front of the home crowd? The last time these fans saw Price pitch was in October, when he was throwing 98 mph during four scoreless innings as a reliever in the Red Sox’ only playoff win since 2013.
In 2015, when Price signed a seven-year, $217 million contract, he infamously said, “I was just saving all my postseason wins for the Red Sox. I think you guys will enjoy those.”
He’s still looking for that first playoff win.
A win today would set a good tone, though he knows wins in October will count a lot more.
“I definitely want to throw well,” he said. “But I mean, I have to do it in October. That’s what it boils down to.”
With all the excitement about Opening Day and the team on a five-game winning streak, to shine for seven-plus innings against the Rays should be enough to excite him.
“I have to do it in October,” Price said. “We all know that.”
Today’s start should be different. Price, like the rest of the Red Sox starters, will be carefully monitored. Don’t expect 100 pitches. He threw just 76 his first time out, and no Sox starter has thrown more than 93 thus far.
Why?
For October, of course. When new Red Sox manager Alex Cora was hired this offseason, he emphasized the point Price has been making: October is all that matters.
“There’s three guys that have pitched in the World Series from this group,” Cora said. “There’s Joe Kelly, (Brandon) Workman and Rick Porcello . . . . Out of those three guys, there’s only one guy that has a World Series ring. And you look around at that group, that first day, and all these guys have their Cy Young Awards, Rookie of the Year Awards, all these great individual awards. But they haven’t got the big one.
“I think that got their attention. They’re hungry. They know we’re preparing for that. We did a great job taking care of them in Fort Myers for the long run, and they bought into it. One time through the order, it worked.”
While one start in front of the home fans might not earn Price the sweet redemption he desires, it would be a nice way to reset if he pitches so well that he exits to a standing ovation this afternoon.
“I think I started the year off really well one time, that was 2015 in Detroit,” Price said. “I threw the ball 82⁄3 on Opening Day with no runs. Threw the ball well in Cleveland next. I started off really well.
“To get off to that good start, it doesn’t put any extra pressure on you. When you’ve gone out there two or three times and have put up a lot of zeroes, it helps you relax and just take it in stride every five days.”
Price looked as relaxed as can be in his start last week. And even more chill when the camera spotted him in the dugout using a strange contraption to rub his forearm during the next game. He suffered a minor tear to his elbow last year and avoided Tommy John surgery, but he’s not taking any chances.
“It’s just a massager,” Price said of the weirdlooking contraption. “Just rubs wherever you want it to rub. I think it’s a company out of Boston actually. They sent us those. I’m always working on it. It loosens everything up. Gets all the little craters out of there.”