HOUSTON --- This was the pitcher the Red Sox thought they signed, and this was the reason why they signed him.
David Price saw the big picture when he came to Boston prior to the 2016 season. The most expensive free agent on the market walked into a young clubhouse populated by emerging stars and joined a franchise with seemingly unlimited financial muscle. Price’s goal was to win multiple championships while cementing his legacy as one of the finest pitchers of his era. [...]
HOUSTON --- This was the pitcher the Red Sox thought they signed, and this was the reason why they signed him.
David Price saw the big picture when he came to Boston prior to the 2016 season. The most expensive free agent on the market walked into a young clubhouse populated by emerging stars and joined a franchise with seemingly unlimited financial muscle. Price’s goal was to win multiple championships while cementing his legacy as one of the finest pitchers of his era.
His trials and tribulations since then have been well documented, including an occasionally chilly relationship with the city’s media, the continuation of his career-long postseason struggles as a starter and the elbow problems that pushed him to the bullpen last season. Price’s first outing of this playoff run against the Yankees lasted just 10 batters, and there were widespread calls for him to be banished to the bullpen or worse.
But Price always insisted that he wanted to take the ball again, that his next start would be the one where he finally figured it out. That night finally came Thursday in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series at Minute Maid Park, one that saw the defending champion Astros surrender their crown and the Red Sox capture their 14th pennant in franchise history.
Price was nothing short of brilliant through six scoreless innings, laying the foundation for Boston’s redemption after a meek four-game elimination against Houston in last year’s A.L. Division Series. It was the perfect present for Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who was celebrating his 43rd birthday. The Red Sox required only one chance to close out the best-of-7 encounter, grinding their way to a 4-1 victory.
The World Series will begin Tuesday night at Fenway Park, with Boston hosting either the Dodgers or the Brewers. Los Angeles holds a 3-2 series lead over Milwaukee with that series pivoting to Miller Park for Friday’s Game 6. The Red Sox didn’t match up with either team during interleague play this season and will be bidding for their fourth championship of this century.
Price became the first Boston pitcher to strike out as many as nine batters without issuing a walk in a playoff start, picking up his first career postseason victory. Yuli Gurriel was the lone man to reach scoring position after a two-out double to left in the fourth, but Price struck out Marwin Gonzalez to escape the only thing vaguely resembling a jam that he faced. He retired the last seven hitters in order, fanning Jose Altuve on the very changeup that served as Price’s calling card in front of 43,210 fans.
It was the 301st start of Price’s career and just the second on short rest. The first came when he was a fresh-faced rookie out of Vanderbilt in 2008, and his previous outing covered a mere 14 pitches in relief. Price was eventually used as a weapon out of the bullpen against the Red Sox as Tampa Bay won the ALCS in seven games, an initial taste of postseason success that faded over time until reappearing on this night.
Houston’s lone run came in the seventh on a two-out solo home run to left by Gonzalez. Matt Barnes, Nathan Eovaldi and Craig Kimbrel combined on the final nine outs, as a Boston bullpen running on fumes again refused to buckle. Barnes was working for the third straight night, Eovaldi was back just one day after a dominant performance in Tuesday’s Game 3 victory and Kimbrel returned after the first two-inning save of his career in Game 4.
It was Justin Verlander who looked in trouble from the outset, stranding the bases loaded in the second before the Red Sox reached him in the third. The right-hander appeared to have J.D. Martinez struck out when he buried an 0-and-2 slider down and away, but home plate umpire Chris Guccione declined to declare Martinez out. The next pitch was a hanging curveball that Martinez skied down the line in left, a solo home run that snapped Verlander’s scoreless string in elimination games at 26 1/3 innings.
There was more to come in the sixth, as the ballpark’s quirks played a part in sending the primary tenant home for the offseason. Mitch Moreland lifted a towering fly to left that a leaping Tony Kemp couldn’t catch in front of the Crawford Boxes, a double that had just a four percent hit probability off the bat. Ian Kinsler, who was just 8-for-45 to that point in his career against Verlander, singled through the right side to put runners at the corners.
Up stepped Rafael Devers, who was 0-for-5 in his career against Verlander to that point. He sent a drive to left center that Kemp could only watch drop into the seats, a 359-foot floater that might well have been a double off the Green Monster. But it was far more damaging than that at this venue, a home run that gave Boston a 4-0 cushion.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @BillKoch25