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BOSTON – While David Price was leaving Sunday's Fenway Park pitcher's mound, the sold-out crowd gave him something he'd rarely heard in the playoffs of his career: applause.
In the fifth round of the second game of the American League Championship Series, the Boston Red Sox starter received an ovation from his fans. After 4⅔ innings of five hits, Fenway's fans acknowledged that even if he was not going to take this decision into account, Price had just managed to keep his team in the game. About four innings later, the Red Sox defeated the Houston Astros 7-5, and the ALCS 1-1.
For Price, the win made more sense than being a game that helped the Red Sox get closer to a World Series ring.
The Boston hitters came in key moments, the pen dominated and David Price did just enough to keep the ALCS interesting.
The Red Sox team, Chris Sale, was admitted to a local hospital Sunday afternoon due to a stomach illness, the team said.
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"It's my first win as a starter," said Price with a smile.
It's a big problem. By entering Sunday's game, Price's teams – he played in the playoffs with Tampa Bay, Detroit and Toronto in an 11-year career – had already beaten the score from 0 to 10 in the 10 starts he had. had made playoffs.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this was by far the largest number of consecutive losses for the pitching team that began its playoff career in the history of the majors. Teams Vida Blue and Doyle Alexander were eliminated in the first six career starts of each pitcher.
"If it's baby steps," says Price, "it's not baby."
Clearly, the 33-year-old southpaw was troubled by his ignominious playoff record. He believes this does not show how good he is in pitcher. It also does not suggest that he wants to be a winner, he adds.
"You can ask any of my teammates during the 10 years of my major league career – or coaches or anyone around me – all I want to do is win "said Price. "I am looking forward to being great in the big times and I have not done it in my career yet.
"But I came here to win – no, I came here to win a world series and do it several times, I understand the stories, I understand, I deserve these stories, but it's bigger than David Price It's not about me – it's about the Boston Red Sox. "
Sunday, Price was pretty effective for the Red Sox. After giving four points in his first three heats, he secured a fourth 1-2-3.
With the Red Sox up to 5-4, Price made two quick outings in the fifth and then dropped two walks. After the second step, manager Alex Cora shot Price from the match on fan affection.
"It's really appreciated," Price said about the ovation. "It was not the line I dreamed of having, but our attack, our defense, everyone rallied together, and that's what we've done all year long. taken care of, they took care of us, and vice versa. "
Cora was generally satisfied with the exit.
"He gave his team a chance to win," said Cora. "We had to clean some things, but overall, his stuff was good, the order was good and he gave us a chance to win.
Price's teammates echoed this feeling, saying they still believed in the starter, despite his lack of success in the post-season.
"No matter what you say about him, he's an excellent pitcher," Red Sox's right field player Mookie Betts said. "He is a competitor, of course, he has this dominant presence on the mound, and he has shown [Sunday]. "
Price mentioned before the game that his main goal was to establish his ball fast. He certainly did, attacking the Astros hitter with variations. Of his 80 shots in total, all but nine were fast balls with two or four seams. The others were modifications.
The first two innings prizes allowed came from a soft line in the second inning that the center center Astros player George Springer hit in the right place. Stuck with two outs and two runners in goal position, Springer managed a quick four-seamed 92.5 mph on the inside half. He hit just out of reach of a diver Steve Pearce at first base. As the ball went into the outside field, Carlos Correa and Martin Maldonado scored, putting the Astros on the board.
When Price finally came out in fifth position, the editor of the Red Sox was asked to end one of the most powerful baseball offenses. Apart from Springer, who scored the ninth title of RBI's single and Jose Altuve's Monkey single, the Boston pen did its job.
Matt Barnes, the Red Sox back-up group, Ryan Brasier, Rick Porcello and Craig Kimbrel gave up two hits in the quarter-finals.
"They have good arms out there," said Astros manager, A.J. Dit Hinch. "It's just a question of success. We did not find any success until the ninth inning. We found two steps, we had a lot of pressure, and it was like a match in which you were going to play. to capitalize on more opportunities because of the nature of the game ".
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