David Price appeared to be in the midst of a very solid bounce-back start against the Minnesota Twins.
The lefty was ineffective his last time out, allowing six earned runs against the Texas Rangers on June 13. But he was dealing at Target Field on Tuesday.
Price was through five innings having allowed just one run on four hits when he was pulled from the game. He struck out just two, but only had thrown 73 pitches before turning it over to Mike Shawaryn for the sixth. The Red Sox went on lose 4-3 in 17 innings, and by the time the game ended, it was easy to forget Price started on the bump.
The Red Sox announced during the game that Price’s exit was not injury-related.
After the game, Alex Cora provided some insight as to why Price was removed.
“David, we felt, after he was short the other day. And today was one of those that we felt like I was going to take care of him,” Cora said, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “He threw really well, but as you guys know, this a guy where we really have to take care of him. And I know, we were not as limited in the bullpen. But (Price) did an outstanding job and the guys that came in after him did an outstanding job, we just didn’t finish it.”
Cora added: “We talk about it. We’re going to take advantage of the next 10 days, 12 days with all the off days and all that. With him coming out of IL and short starts and all that stuff, we have to make sure he is okay. And he is okay, actually. It’s just one of those where we felt today was one of those that you go short, all out, move on.”
Price didn’t have the strikeout pitch going, but he was bringing it, averaging 94 mph on his fastball, higher than his season average and suggesting that the early exit was not due to an injury. But it’s certainly worth noting how the Sox handle Price in his next few starts.
Here are some other notes from Tuesday’s Red Sox-Twins game:
— Rafael Devers continues to swing a hot bat.
Devers clubbed his second late-inning go-ahead home run in less than a week, giving the Sox a 2-1 lead in the seventh with a laser off of Ryne Harper. It was Devers’ 12th of the season. The third baseman went 2-for-4 on the evening and has had multiple hits in four of his last five games.
— Devers’ home run would not stand up as the difference-maker, however.
Brandon Workman allowed a run in the eighth after a Max Kepler RBI knock tied things up 2-2. The bullpen, which has had its fair share of ups and downs, to say the least, earned another blown save, Boston’s 13th of the season.
Hector Velazquez also was unable to secure the lead in the 13th, giving the Sox their 14th blown save.
— The bullpen, in general, has been strong in this series thus far, however. After two shutout innings on Monday, the pen tossed 11 1/3 innings Tuesday, striking out 14 while allowing 11 hits and five walks.
— It didn’t take long for the Red Sox to set a new mark for their longest game of the season.
Boston’s 10-inning debacle against the Baltimore Orioles went four hours and 44 minutes. Tuesday’s 17-inning affair went for five hours, 45 minutes.
