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DAVID PRICE |
BOSTON STRONG -
THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION
Only Mike Napoli is a
match for David Price
July 24, 2013 ...
Boston simply had no answers for the Rays' ace lefty, David Price, and lost, 5-1, to the red-hot Rays in the third game of a four-game series at Fenway Park. The Red Sox once again saw their lead in the American League East trimmed to a half-game by the Rays.
In this one, Price didn't even seem to break a sweat, throwing 97 pitches in the complete-game gem.
Boston's lefty starter pitched pretty well in his own right. Felix Doubront, who has been terrific in recent weeks, gave up six hits and three runs over 6 2/3 innings. Doubront has allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his last 13 starts, the longest
such streak by a Boston lefty in the live-ball era (since 1920). On many nights, Doubront's effort would have been good enough for a win. But in this game it was no match for Price, who has been in vintage form since returning from the disabled list on July
2.
The Rays rallied in the third, beginning with Desmond Jennings' one-out single. When Doubront made an errant pickoff throw, Jennings moved to second. Evan Longoria's base hit to left put runners at the corners, and a bloop single to center by Wil Myers sent home
the first two runs of the game. Luke Scott's sacrifice fly gave the Rays a three-run cushion.
Price tossed his seventh career complete game, and his third of the season, allowing one run on five hits and no walks. All of his complete games have come in his last four starts, and he has not walked a batter in any of them. Price threw just 97 pitches,
72 for strikes, for the third-highest strike percentage for a Rays pitcher in a complete-game effort since 1999. Even more amazing was the fact Price did it against the disciplined Red Sox hitters.
The Red Sox finally had a big swing against Price in the seventh, and it came from Mike Napoli, who hammered a solo shot into the parking lot beyond the Green Monster. Boston's momentum was short-lived. The Rays rallied against relievers Pedro Beato and Matt
Thornton in the eighth. Myers got it started with a one-out single against Beato. On came Thornton. But after getting a fielder's-choice grounder from Scott, the lefty gave up three straight singles. The latter two -- from James Loney and Jose Molina -- both drove
in runs to push the Rays' lead to four runs.
This wasn't a complicated loss for the Red Sox. They simply were overmatched by a pitcher who had his best stuff. |
