Why Alex Cora Wasn’t Surprised By David Price’s Strong Outing Vs. Yankees

Something had to give Sunday night in The Bronx.

The Boston Red Sox turned to David Price in hopes of avoiding a sweep at the hands of the New York Yankees. While Price has been the Red Sox’s best starting pitching this season, there was reason to temper expectations for the left-hander in the series finale. Since joining Boston prior to the 2016 campaign, Price had been 0-6 with a 9.79 ERA in six starts at Yankee Stadium.

Those struggles were nowhere to be found Sunday, as Price only allowed two runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings in the Red Sox’s 8-5 win over their division rival. Some might have been surprised to see the veteran southpaw shine in New York, but Boston manager Alex Cora is not among that company.

“He was great. Good command, good mix of pitches,” Cora said, per The Boston Globe. “He gave us a chance to win. I’m happy for him that he came here and pitched the way he did. He’s been outstanding the whole season. It didn’t surprise me.”

Price’s ERA on the season sits at 2.83 through his latest performance, which just so happened to be his 100th start in a Red Sox uniform. The five-time All-Star certainly rose to the occasion and helped deliver Boston a win it desperately needed.