David Price says 'this is the pitcher Boston signed' after another dominant start
David Price’s career with the Boston Red Sox has mostly resulted in negativity. His ERA has been higher than expected, he’s feuded with broadcasters and hasn’t performed well against the New York Yankees.
But things are changing. Since the All-Star break, the 32-year-old Price has been one of the best pitchers in baseball. After another dominant start Thursday, Price now has a 1.09 ERA over his last six games.
David Price says “this is the pitcher Boston signed” after dominant start
Following Thursday’s game, Price acknowledged he feels like he’s performing like the pitcher the Red Sox always expected.
Price, when I asked if this is his best stretch since coming to BOS: "By far, absolutely. To not have that really bad games mixed in at some point, that's good. This is the pitcher Boston signed. To get back to that (level), it's about time.''
— Sean McAdam (@Sean_McAdam) August 23, 2018
Price shut out the Cleveland Indians on Thursday, giving up just three hits over eight innings. He did not issue any walks and struck out seven batters. With the performance, Price now has a 3.50 ERA on the season.
The win pushed Boston to an MLB-leading 90th win. No other team has won 80 games in 2018.
David Price hitting his stride at the right time for Red Sox
With Chris Sale sidelined by an arm injury, Price picked the perfect time to go on a dominant run. If Price can keep this up, it would provide some insurance in case Sale needs more time to recover. And if Sale isn’t 100 percent by the postseason, Price could be an acceptable option to start Game 1.
Price’s dominant comes months before he can opt-out of his contract. While the strong stretch is encouraging, Price opting out seems unlikely. He would leave four years and $127 million on the table. It would be tough to exceed that on the market.
What comes next for David Price and the Red Sox?
The Red Sox are all but guaranteed to make the postseason, so Price will look to continue his hot streak as the team inches closer to October. The Red Sox have games against the Yankees, Indians, Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves in September, so Price should be tested by elite clubs as he prepares for the playoffs.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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