BOSTON — Now that David Price has finally won a postseason game, the Boston Red Sox are hoping he can deliver a second win — or a third, if needed. Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora officially named the veteran left-hander his starter for Wednesday’s Game 2 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Price entered this postseason with an 0-8 record in nine career postseason starts and his team had lost all nine games. In his first start against the Yankees in the AL Division Series, he lasted just five outs as the Yankees hit two home runs off him.
His first outing against the Astros in the AL Championship Series was a little better as he pitched 4⅔ innings, but he still gave up four runs and walked away with a no-decision — although his team won for the first time in one of his postseason starts.
Then came his great performance in the clinching Game 5. Pitching on three days’ rest, he shut out the Astros on three hits over six innings, recording a career-high nine strikeouts for a playoff game.
Price kept the Astros off-balance by using his changeup at a higher rate — 43 percent of the time — than he had used it in any game in his career — regular season or postseason. The changeup alone induced 12 swings-and-misses and Price picked up his first postseason win as a starter when the Red Sox held on for the 4-1 victory.
During the celebration in the Red Sox clubhouse, Price talked about how his pregame routine was a little different.
“The night before I pitch, I’m just envisioning myself making pitches,” he said. “Last night, I envisioned myself doing this right here and going through my head what I was going to say.”
Price was relaxed and confident on Monday’s media session at Fenway.
“You just have to continue to do whatever makes you you,” he said. “(Game 1 starter) Chris Sale just has to go out there and be Chris Sale, and you can’t get too caught up in what the other team does well.”
The Dodgers hit right-handed pitching much better in the regular season, with a .796 OPS compared to .733 against lefties, one reason it made sense for Cora to go with Sale and Price in the first two games. Price was also much better at home in the regular season, with a 2.98 ERA at Fenway compared to 4.31 on the road (although he’s allowed seven runs in six innings in those two starts at home in the postseason).
Cora also declined to name his Game 3 and 4 starters, a sign that Nathan Eovaldi and Rick Porcello will be possible bullpen options for the first two games. Porcello has made two relief appearances in the postseason so far, both in the eighth inning, while Eovaldi got four outs in Game 5 against the Astros.
The Red Sox will also make a roster decision on Tuesday on reliever Steven Wright, who was pulled off the ALDS roster with a knee injury and had to miss the ALCS. The knuckleballer had become a key setup reliever for the Red Sox down the stretch and could also be a multi-inning weapon out of the pen.
Heath Hembree had replaced Wright on the roster, and he’s pitched 3⅔ scoreless innings in the playoffs. That could leave Brandon Workman as the odd man out if Wright is activated.