BOSTON — The first month of the season hasn’t been kind to David Price, but there are indications he’s ready to turn things around.
The Red Sox ace enters Thursday night’s game against the Houston Astros with an inflated 6.75 ERA through seven starts, and he has surrendered six earned runs in each of his last two outings.
Yet Price supposedly made a tweak to his pitching mechanics, which he hopes will earn him success at Fenway Park when he takes the mound in the opener of the four-game series against Houston.
On the offensive side, Boston will roll out the same lineup that mashed 13 runs Wednesday to complete a sweep of the Oakland Athletics. The Red Sox have been white-hot at the plate lately, becoming the first team to score 40 runs over a three-game span since the 1999 Cleveland Indians.
Boston’s offensive mettle will be tested against Houston starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel, although the hard-throwing left-hander has scuffled out of the gate and is seeking his first win since April 15.
Here are the full starting lineups for both teams:
RED SOX (21-13)
Mookie Betts, RF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
David Ortiz, DH
Hanley Ramirez, 1B
Chris Young, LF
Travis Shaw, 3B
Christian Vazquez, C
Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
David Price, LHP (4-1, 6.75 ERA)
ASTROSÂ (14-21)
Jose Altuve, 2B
George Springer, RF
Carlos Correa, SS
Tyler White, DH
Marwin Gonzalez, 1B
Carlos Gomez, CF
Luis Valbuena, 3B
Erik Kratz, C
Jake Marisnick, LF
Dallas Keuchel, LHPÂ (2-4, 4.70 ERA)
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
