With yet another unfortunate outing in the postseason, on Saturday night, David Price has been torn apart by a number of Boston Red Sox fans. After a bad start against the rival New York Yankees in a crucial ALDS start, this was expected. But is it right to do so? Price has been integral to the Red Sox, this season. He will continue to have an important role in Boston, whether he starts again, or we see him in a relief role.
Price’s Importance Going Forward
Price’s gloomy outing in Game 2 of the ALDS saw him give up three earned runs and two homers. Price pitched an inning and two thirds before he was taken out. Price’s postseason record has always been a problem when looking at him as an elite pitcher. His record in October as a starter is 0-8 in nine starts, and his overall postseason record is 2-9, with those two wins coming as a reliever.
We saw Price’s reliever-self on display late last season. He missed a large portion of the 2017 season due to injury, and his long-awaited return saw him come out of the bullpen. After missing two months of the year, he returned and was featured in five games in September. In those relief appearances, he struck out 13 batters over eight and two-thirds of innings. He allowed three hits and no earned runs, showing how dominant a force he can be out of the pen.
Perhaps this is where Price can be of most use for Boston in crucial games. His experience as a major league pitcher shows what he can do on any given night. Yes, he has had a bad track record against teams such as the Yankees. But he is a capable postseason pitcher, and with the right guys around him, like on this team, he can be effective in the postseason. He was effective as a reliever in Games 2 and 3 of the 2017 ALDS against the Houston Astros. He’s a pitcher who can come in at any time in a game, but he needs to improve if he’s going to help his team win a World Series.
However, abuse from fans and jeers won’t help this happen. The Red Sox fans need to get behind him, whether he’s a starter or reliever.
Going Forward
Price and the rest of the Red Sox pitchers need to come out cool, calm and collected this postseason. It helps teams a lot to have a number of elite pitchers on their roster, and this staff is talented. With Chris Sale, Rick Porcello, Craig Kimbrel, and others, the talent is there, but the performances are vital now.
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