:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58979241/usa_today_10335844.0.jpg)
David Price made a lot of noise when he signed with the Red Sox before the 2016 season; he made less noise during an understated, very good 2016 season in which his teammate won the Cy Young Award with slightly better stats. Price made a lot of noise in 2017 when he aggressively confronted reporter Evan Drellich and baseball legend and television personality Dennis Eckersley, in separate incidents; he made less noise on the field for most of the year, with an injury limiting him to under 80 regular season innings pitched.
Which Price will we get this season? He says it might be his best. I hope so. I hope he makes a lot of noise with his performance and makes less noise with his personality. As I wrote and re-learned for the millionth time last year, it’s important not to be a jerk.
Price’s season starts today at 1:05 p.m. on NESN against the Twins, who trail the Red Sox two games to one in the race for the all-important Mayor’s Cup. Kyle Gibson starts for them, and, a day after the Sox threw out a bare-bones squad, the big hitters are back (minus Rafael Devers) This is the gamethread, and here is the lineup:
- Mookie Betts, RF
- Andrew Benintendi, LF
- Hanley Ramirez, 1B
- J.D. Martinez, DH
- Xander Bogaerts, SS
- Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
- Eduardo Nunez, 2B
- Sandy Leon, C
- Brock Holt, 3B
SP: Price, LHP
UPDATE
Hi, it’s Matt. This game got started with a 45-minute delayed and eventually got called after two and a half innings. The Red Sox were getting shellacked anyway, so it’s probably for the best. Price didn’t end up making the start here because the team didn’t want to take any chances with the impending weather. He still got his work in, though, as he threw a side session in the bullpen back at the team’s complex with Dana LeVangie standing in the batters box and calling out different hitters’ names to help mimic a game situation as best as possible.