David Price Turns Back the Clock on Thursday Night in Boston

A much-needed dominant performance for David Price lifts the Boston Red Sox to victory in the opener of a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles.

David Price has had quite the bizarre career in Boston. But at times, he has shown that he is one of the best pitchers in baseball. In a complete-game win, Price was one pitch away from his fourth career shutout. Manny Machado‘s two-run homer with two outs in the ninth that sailed over the Green Monster in left field ruined Price’s shutout bid, but then Price forced Jonathan Schoop to fly out to center to secure the complete game.

Yes, the Orioles are dead-last in the competitive American League East. But with Price’s up-and-down season and his carpal tunnel syndrome (rumored to be from too much Fortnite) that forced him to miss a start against the Yankees last week, the $217 million-dollar man needed this bounce-back start. He pitched well against the Blue Jays last Saturday, yet Red Sox fans have been anxiously waiting for an efficient performance like this from Price.

Through eight innings, Price had thrown an impressive 80 pitches while letting up only three hits. With fatigue settling in and the top of the order up in the ninth inning, he finished with 95 pitches on the night. He had a line of five hits, two earned runs, zero walks, and eight strikeouts, and the Red Sox would love for him to produce similar numbers every time on the mound.

The most sensational aspect of Price’s outing was his utilization of his fastball. Price is primarily known for his cutter, which he threw 30 times last night. However, Price tossed 36 two-seamers and six four-seamers to go with 22 changeups and one curveball. He looked confident in throwing his fastballs, and was able to hit the location of his choosing. That aspect really confuses hitters, as they are not always expecting a fastball from Price, especially with two strikes. This makes Price even more dangerous — he can throw different fastballs that accurately hit where he wants. If the fastballs are not working as well as last night, then they can easily be switched out with his beautiful cutter and the other pitches in his repertoire.

Price was boosted by home runs from J.D. Martinez and Xander Bogaerts, who gave Price the confidence to go out and compete. The defense behind Price was also rock-solid all game. Indeed, Price was set up well for a great performance, and he delivered in leading the Sox to becoming the first MLB team to 30 wins.

Having a fantastic start for Price is huge news for the Red Sox. This gives Price momentum going into his future games after his somewhat shaky start to the season. If he can stay healthy, the former Cy Young Award winner has the chance to return to his dominant form. When consistent, the Red Sox have the potential to possess one of the best rotations in baseball.

David Price is likely to pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays sometime mid-week in a three-game series on the road. This would be his fourth start against the Sox’ divisional rival this season, and  Price has a 1-1 record through the first three games.

All Red Sox fans want is some clarity that they are getting their money’s worth in David Price. After last night’s start, they should be confident in him down the stretch, and hope that this is a sign for great performances to come by Price.