Price silences doubters and Dodgers bats in dominant win

(Reuters) – Boston Red Sox pitcher David Price put to rest any doubts about his ability to perform under the bright lights of the postseason on Wednesday, throwing six strong innings in a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Two of the World Series.

Oct 24, 2018; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher David Price throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning in game two of the 2018 World Series at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

The veteran left hander was sharp from the outset, attacking the strike zone against the power-packed Dodgers lineup and in the fourth inning, when the Dodgers loaded the bases with no one out, he limited the damage to just two runs.

“That was a tough inning, it could have spun out of control pretty fast,” he told reporters after the game, which gave the favored Red Sox a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

“One of my Achilles’ heels, especially in the playoffs and even in the regular season, is that big inning. Being able to stop it at two runs right there… that was big for us.”

The 33-year-old, who earned his first career postseason win in 12 starts against the Houston Astros in the deciding game of the ALCS, said the key was to take his time amid the chaos of a World Series game at raucous Fenway Park.

“There’s three minutes in between innings for commercials and every pitch is so big, you’re not going to go out there and rush through pitches,” he said.

“You’re taught ever since you were a little kid to be able to slow the game down and now baseball wants to speed it up. I don’t care, I’m taking my time. I know I’m slow.”

Red Sox manager Alex Cora praised Price’s composure.

“I’m very proud of him,” he said.

“Like he said the last time, there’s not going to be questions in Spring Training about David Price in October. He beat the Houston Astros in Houston. He beat the Dodgers here in Fenway Park.

“So I’m happy for him because he deserves it. This guy works, he cares about his teammates, and like I said before, he’s one of the best pitchers in the big leagues.”

The series now shifts to Los Angeles for Game Three on Friday.

Reporting by Rory Carroll; editing by Amlan Chakraborty

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source: reuters.com