David Price reflects after latest Fenway rout: 'I know I'm better than that'

Maureen Mullen, Special for USA TODAY Sports
Apr 21, 2016
4 min read

BOSTON – When the Red Sox signed left-hander David Price to a seven-year, $217 million contract in December it was with the expectation that he wouldshut down opponents, especially those in the American League East, creating some room between the Red Sox at the top of the division and everyone else, go deep into games, giving the bullpen a breather. While that could still happen this season, it has yet to materialize. The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Red Sox 12-8 at Fenway Park Thursday afternoon, their highest run total in more than two years.

Most of that damage came at Price's expense.

Staked to a 5-1 lead after the first inning, Price was done after 3 2/3 innings. He gave up eight runs – all earned, matching a career high – on eight hits, two home runs, two hit batters (Brandon Guyer both times) and two walks with five strikeouts. It was his shortest outing since a 2 1/3-inning stint last April, when he also allowed eight runs, to the New York Yankees.. “Where he’s typically so good to both sides of the plate, I thought there were a number of pitches where he tried to go in to some right-handers and was just missing the spot,” said Red Sox manager John Farrell. Price’s offense bailed him out, coming back to tie the game, so he wasn’t stuck with the loss. In four starts this season, he is 2-0 with a 7.06 ERA.

“That’s the best I’ve felt in my four starts here and to me that’s the most disappointing thing,” Price said. “When you feel as good as I felt I want to be able to go out there and get the results that I expect. And just didn’t do that today.” The Rays sent 11 batters to the plate in the fourth inning, scoring six runs, a season high. Price was in for nine batters, charged with all the runs, giving up five hits, a walk – on four pitches with one out to No. 8 hitter Kevin Kiermaier – and a hit batter. No. 9 hitter Curt Casali, who entered the game batting just .125, had the big blast of the inning, a two-run homer. “Just didn’t execute. That’s what you got to be able to do, especially with 7, 8, 9 coming up in that inning,” Price said. “Walking Kiermaier on four straight and then Curt hitting the big two-run home run off of me. And I just couldn’t recover after that.” All three of his Fenway starts this season have been against AL East opponents – Baltimore, Toronto and Tampa Bay. In those games he has an ERA of 8.62, allowing 15 earned runs in 15 2/3 innings. With this outing, his April career ERA is 4.14 compared to 2.96 in all other regular-season months. He is averaging a little over five innings per start this season. Price has faced the Rays – the team that drafted him first overall in 2007 – four times since being traded away in 2014, with the Tigers, Blue Jays and Red Sox. In his first time facing them later that season he held them scoreless over eight innings. In three starts since he has allowed eight earned runs over 14 2/3 innings for a 10.43 ERA. “They had a good approach,” Price said. “I know what they’ve done differently against me. I’ll make my adjustments.”

His former teammate and good friend Evan Longoria entered the game 0 for 9 with three strikeouts against Price. Longoria went 2 for 3 against Price with a home run, a double, two runs scored and two RBI. “Finally to get a hit off of him,” Longoria said. “He had pretty much owned me before that. I never really felt comfortable in the box against him, which is pretty rare facing a lefty for me. The biggest part of his success is locating all of his pitches at any time and today I just think he struggled with that. A lot of the hits were balls that he missed over the plate. We were able to capitalize on that.” Casali entered the game 3 for 6 with two home runs and three RBI against Price. After going 0 for 3 the first times he faced Price, he has since gone single, home run, home run, single. home run. “He throws strikes and makes people put the ball in play and fortunately for me today he left a couple out over the middle and I hit them pretty well,” Casali said. “I honestly wish it was somebody else because I like him a lot. He's one of my best friends. I'm sure he was unhappy with some of the pitches he threw to me but that's what happens when you throw a pitch over the middle and a little bit up. It should get hammered." Price knows there’s only one thing for him to do. “Get better,” he said. “I know I’m better than that. Whenever you get five runs in the bottom half of the first inning, that’s unacceptable.”