December 6, 2018 12:06 AM PST
BOSTON (AP) — Red Sox manager Alex Cora is sticking with
David
Price [url=http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-stephen-piscotty-jersey]Stephen
Piscotty Jersey[/url] , saying Wednesday the left-hander will start Game 2 of
the AL Championship Series against Houston despite an unprecedented history of
playoff struggles.Speaking on MLB Network radio a day after the Red Sox
eliminated the Yankees from the AL Division Series, Cora said he plans to use
Chris Sale in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series that begins at Fenway Park on
Saturday night. The first-year manager said Price, the loser in the Red Sox only
defeat in the ALDS, is still in line to start Game 2.“We trust him,” Cora said
last week after Price allowed three runs and got just five outs in a 6-2 loss in
Game 2. “He bounced back before. We’ll talk to him and make a few adjustments
and we’ll go from there.”Nathan Eovaldi and 2016 AL Cy Young Award winner Rick
Porcello are expected to start Games 3 and 4, after picking up wins in the same
roles against the Yankees. The current Red Sox staff entered the series with a
0-19 postseason record as
starters [url=http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-andrew-triggs-jersey]http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-andrew-triggs-jersey[/url] ,
and now everyone but Price has picked up a win. Price has won two games in
relief.In all, Price is 0-9 as a starter in the postseason and his team has lost
all 10 of his career playoff starts, the longest such skid in postseason
history. The latest was a five-out cameo in Game 2 against the Yankees in which
he gave up homers to Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez.But Cora expressed confidence
in Price afterward, claiming that Astros ace Justin Verlander and Red Sox Hall
of Famer Pedro Martinez also struggled in the playoffs early in their careers.
He also noted that Price pitched well out of the bullpen last year, making two
appearances with 6 2/3 innings of scoreless relief against Houston.Verlander had
a 5.57 ERA through his first eight playoff starts, but he won three of them;
Martinez struggled in the 2003 and early in the 2004 postseason but had already
posted a win in his playoff debut in 1998 and threw 18 shutout innings over
three appearances in 1999.Price said after his start he will pitch in any role
that helps the team.“I just want to win. That’s
it [url=http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-jake-smolinski-jersey]Jake
Smolinski Jersey[/url] ,” Price said after his ALDS start. “My main goal is to
win in the playoffs, to win a World Series. … And whatever I need to do to help
us do that, I’m fine with. But I know I’m more than capable of winning games as
a starter in October. That’s what I look forward to doing.” The Washington
Nationalshave decided to wave the white flag, but impending free agent Bryce
Harper reportedly will not be among the Nationals traded.Grant Paulsen of 106.7
The Fan reported on Tuesday that the Los Angeles Dodgershad placed a revocable
waiver claim on the outfielder. However, Jon Heyman of Fancred followed that up
minutes later by tweeting Harper's waivers had expired, meaning he could no
longer be traded.At
62-63 [url=http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-bruce-maxwell-jersey]Bruce
Maxwell Jersey[/url] , Washington is 7.5 games back in the National League East
and 6.5 back in the Wild Card race. With just 37 games left to play, the
organization decided it was time to start breaking up the team. The Nationals
traded three-time All-Star Daniel Murphy to the Chicago Cubsand Matt Adams to
the St. Louis Cardinals.Those moves had some wondering if Harper would be the
next to leave town. As it turns out, that won't be the case.All of this comes
just three weeks after Washington decided not to give up on the season at the
non-waiver trade deadline.MLB.com'sMark Feinsandreported at the time that the
Nationals had let teams around the league know that Harper was available.
However, general manager Mike Rizzo made it clear that the face of the franchise
wasn't going anywhere, via Chelsea Janes of theWashington Post:Chelsea Janes
chelsea_janesMike Rizzo just reached out with this message: quot;Bryce is not
going anywhere. I believe in this team.quot;That belief quickly vanished as the
team dug itself an even bigger hole by going 9-10 in August.Harper is having a
relative down year, hitting just
.246 [url=http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-chad-pinder-jersey]http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-chad-pinder-jersey[/url] ,
which would be the second-lowest average of his career. He does, however, rank
tied for second in the NL with 30 home runs and tied for first with 91 walks. He
has caught fire, though, in the second half after winning the Home Run Derby at
Nationals Park, hitting .350 with seven home
runs [url=http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-brett-anderson-jersey]Brett
Anderson Jersey[/url] , nine doubles and 25 RBI.And yet, it hasn't been enough
to keep Washington in the thick of postseason contention.Harper is set to become
a free agent after the season, so the Nationals are risking losing him for
nothing more than a compensation pick. On the other hand, trading him would
likely decrease their odds of signing the 25-year-old star in free agency.
BOSTON (AP) — Red Sox manager Alex Cora is sticking with
David
Price [url=http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-stephen-piscotty-jersey]Stephen
Piscotty Jersey[/url] , saying Wednesday the left-hander will start Game 2 of
the AL Championship Series against Houston despite an unprecedented history of
playoff struggles.Speaking on MLB Network radio a day after the Red Sox
eliminated the Yankees from the AL Division Series, Cora said he plans to use
Chris Sale in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series that begins at Fenway Park on
Saturday night. The first-year manager said Price, the loser in the Red Sox only
defeat in the ALDS, is still in line to start Game 2.“We trust him,” Cora said
last week after Price allowed three runs and got just five outs in a 6-2 loss in
Game 2. “He bounced back before. We’ll talk to him and make a few adjustments
and we’ll go from there.”Nathan Eovaldi and 2016 AL Cy Young Award winner Rick
Porcello are expected to start Games 3 and 4, after picking up wins in the same
roles against the Yankees. The current Red Sox staff entered the series with a
0-19 postseason record as
starters [url=http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-andrew-triggs-jersey]http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-andrew-triggs-jersey[/url] ,
and now everyone but Price has picked up a win. Price has won two games in
relief.In all, Price is 0-9 as a starter in the postseason and his team has lost
all 10 of his career playoff starts, the longest such skid in postseason
history. The latest was a five-out cameo in Game 2 against the Yankees in which
he gave up homers to Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez.But Cora expressed confidence
in Price afterward, claiming that Astros ace Justin Verlander and Red Sox Hall
of Famer Pedro Martinez also struggled in the playoffs early in their careers.
He also noted that Price pitched well out of the bullpen last year, making two
appearances with 6 2/3 innings of scoreless relief against Houston.Verlander had
a 5.57 ERA through his first eight playoff starts, but he won three of them;
Martinez struggled in the 2003 and early in the 2004 postseason but had already
posted a win in his playoff debut in 1998 and threw 18 shutout innings over
three appearances in 1999.Price said after his start he will pitch in any role
that helps the team.“I just want to win. That’s
it [url=http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-jake-smolinski-jersey]Jake
Smolinski Jersey[/url] ,” Price said after his ALDS start. “My main goal is to
win in the playoffs, to win a World Series. … And whatever I need to do to help
us do that, I’m fine with. But I know I’m more than capable of winning games as
a starter in October. That’s what I look forward to doing.” The Washington
Nationalshave decided to wave the white flag, but impending free agent Bryce
Harper reportedly will not be among the Nationals traded.Grant Paulsen of 106.7
The Fan reported on Tuesday that the Los Angeles Dodgershad placed a revocable
waiver claim on the outfielder. However, Jon Heyman of Fancred followed that up
minutes later by tweeting Harper's waivers had expired, meaning he could no
longer be traded.At
62-63 [url=http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-bruce-maxwell-jersey]Bruce
Maxwell Jersey[/url] , Washington is 7.5 games back in the National League East
and 6.5 back in the Wild Card race. With just 37 games left to play, the
organization decided it was time to start breaking up the team. The Nationals
traded three-time All-Star Daniel Murphy to the Chicago Cubsand Matt Adams to
the St. Louis Cardinals.Those moves had some wondering if Harper would be the
next to leave town. As it turns out, that won't be the case.All of this comes
just three weeks after Washington decided not to give up on the season at the
non-waiver trade deadline.MLB.com'sMark Feinsandreported at the time that the
Nationals had let teams around the league know that Harper was available.
However, general manager Mike Rizzo made it clear that the face of the franchise
wasn't going anywhere, via Chelsea Janes of theWashington Post:Chelsea Janes
chelsea_janesMike Rizzo just reached out with this message: quot;Bryce is not
going anywhere. I believe in this team.quot;That belief quickly vanished as the
team dug itself an even bigger hole by going 9-10 in August.Harper is having a
relative down year, hitting just
.246 [url=http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-chad-pinder-jersey]http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-chad-pinder-jersey[/url] ,
which would be the second-lowest average of his career. He does, however, rank
tied for second in the NL with 30 home runs and tied for first with 91 walks. He
has caught fire, though, in the second half after winning the Home Run Derby at
Nationals Park, hitting .350 with seven home
runs [url=http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-brett-anderson-jersey]Brett
Anderson Jersey[/url] , nine doubles and 25 RBI.And yet, it hasn't been enough
to keep Washington in the thick of postseason contention.Harper is set to become
a free agent after the season, so the Nationals are risking losing him for
nothing more than a compensation pick. On the other hand, trading him would
likely decrease their odds of signing the 25-year-old star in free agency.