Red Sox's Price still not going right
So far, the price has been exorbitant.
Unable to put away the biggest batters of the game, David Price was chased in the fifth inning of the Yankees' 8-2 win Saturday in New York and was tagged with his first loss in a Red Sox uniform.
Price, who signed a $217 million contract in the offseason, had won a career-best nine consecutive decisions dating to Sept. 5, 2015, with the Blue Jays. But his velocity is down and he has a 6.75 ERA through seven starts for the Red Sox.
“I feel like the more velocity that you have, the more mistakes that you can get away with,” Price said. “Right now I'm not getting away with mistakes — or good pitches, for that matter. It's been tough, for sure, but I know things are going to turn around.”
Didi Gregorius hit a three-run double and Carlos Beltran added a two-run double for the Yankees. Both hits came on two-strike pitches, with Beltran's ending Price's afternoon.
“It's not like there's a glaring deficiency or flaw in his delivery,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said of Price. “It's more the finishing action of the pitch. Right now, we're examining everything.”
“I felt good (but) just didn't execute enough pitches,” Price said. “They hit some good ones, and that's part of it. I made some pretty good pitches in certain spots — that pitch to Didi, that's a good pitch.”
Price was 13-1 in his previous 17 starts — and 6-0 with a 2.01 ERA in his past eight outings at Yankee Stadium. But he is 1-1 with a 9.26 ERA in two games against the Yankees this season and has allowed at least five earned runs in four of his starts.
“It's not fun for me,” Price said. “I don't enjoy it. I've got to get better.”