Red Sox’s David Price wins second consecutive postseason start
Boston’s David Price has shut down his critics with his second postseason win, in a row. He helped the Red Sox take a 2-0 World Series lead, on Wednesday.
On a cold Wednesday night in October, David Price led the Boston Red Sox to a 2-0 World Series lead under the bright lights of Fenway Park.
The Sox ace shut up his doubters by going six full innings and allowing just two runs on three hits. Along with five strikeouts, only three base-on-balls were recorded, bringing the total of Dodger baserunners to just six. It was a closely contested game, with little margin for error, and Price didn’t put much of foot wrong.
The only small mistakes in the performance, which didn’t prove costly for the Red Sox, came in the 4th inning, where back-to-back line drives from David Freese and Manny Machado and a walk on Chris Taylor loaded up the bases. This allowed for Matt Kemp to hit a sacrifice fly off of Price and Yasiel Puig hit a line drive to center field, which both drove in a run. Apart from this, Price was completely dominant.
His performance in the clinching Game 5 of the ALCS against Houston was more dominant, where he struck out a tremendous nine batters, allowing no runs and only three hits, again over six innings, but, Price did more than enough to secure the Sox’s ninth win of this postseason on Wednesday. This, perhaps just as impressive, in freezing conditions and at the biggest stage of all.
Price has remained confident through the entirety of this postseason. He kept cool after he threw sub-par games against the Yankees, and in Game 2 of the ALDS. This level-headedness from Price has allowed him to thrive over the last two starts – which are two of the most important he’s had. He’s done what the Red Sox have needed him to do, which is do enough to put the team in contention for the win.
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However, his performance in Houston was one to behold, and last night he put the rumors of him not being able to pitch in cold weather to bed. Price has done more than what he’s needed to do.
Fans and media outlets alike were quick to jump on Price as soon as the postseason began, pointing out his 0-8 playoff record as a starter. Adding another loss in New York seemed to signal that, perhaps, it might not happen for Price. Perhaps his hateful relationship with October baseball would continue. However, Price’s persistence prevailed. The 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner turned this narrative around with an emphatic showing, coming out all guns blazing and destroying the Astro line up.
The 5-time All-Star has had an illustrious career, everybody knows that. But, hopefully, the last two games he’s pitched will show people that blips like Price has had can happen – it doesn’t mean he’s a worse pitcher for it. He’s certainly shown that right now, at the age of 33, he can still continue to change this narrative.
Next. Next: Red Sox takeaways from first two World Series games. dark
Although Price’s pitches, his fastball in particular, will lose some velocity, his command remains at the top of the game, on his day. Whether he appears in another World Series game this year or not, Price has been pivotal to this year’s record-breaking Red Sox team, and what he’s done will go along way in helping the Red Sox make sure they capture another championship for the city of Boston.