Wins don’t tell the full story
Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
The first thing Price’s critics will point out is that he has yet to win a postseason start. He does have a pair of playoff wins on his record, but both came in relief appearances. The 0-7 record Price has accumulated in his postseason starts has left a sour taste in the mouths of those expecting him to be the savior of this staff. Sorry, but what century are we in where wins are the most accurate way of judging a pitcher’s worth? We moved beyond that years ago.
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Those that argue that Price is incapable of performing in the postseason aren’t seeing the full picture. He may not have earned the win in any of his starts, but he’s certainly pitched well enough to deserve one in several cases, with four quality starts in the postseason to his credit.
In his lone postseason appearance in 2014, Price held the Baltimore Orioles to two runs over 8 innings, but took the loss because his offense could only muster a single run of support. How exactly is that his fault?
Game 2 of the 2015 ALCS saw Price blank the Kansas City Royals through six innings, before the game unraveled on him in the seventh. A visibly worn out Price surrendered three straight singles before retiring the first batter of the inning on a groundout that scored a run. He sandwiched a strikeout between another single and a double that mercifully ended his night. It was a brutal frame to be sure, but given his dominance through six innings it’s clear that Price was simply left in the game too long. When that happens to Pedro Martinez, we fire Grady Little. When Price’s manager makes the same mistake we blame the pitcher for not coming through in a key postseason start.
We would feel a lot differently about Price if he had been lifted a few batters earlier in that game and his bullpen had held on to get him a win.
Next: ERA isn't the only important stat either