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Joe McCarthy had Denny Galehouse. Don Zimmer had Bobby Sprowl. Grady Little went too long with Pedro Martinez. And now Alex Cora — with Nathan Eovaldi and Rick Porcello fully rested — is giving David Price the ball in the biggest game of the Red Sox 111-win season.
The world champion Astros thrashed the sloppy Red Sox (Boston pitchers walked 10 Astros and hit three more), 7-2, in Game 1 of the ALCS Saturday night at Fenway Park. Since Major League Baseball went to seven games for League Championship Series, no team has lost the first two at home and gone on to win the series. It’s do-or-die for Boston in Game 2. And the Sox will have David Price on the mound.
Yikes.
Or should I say, “Yuk”?
Related: Instant Analysis: This loss exposed lingering concerns that still haunt Red Sox
The great Leigh Montville filled this space for a couple of sweet decades before I got here and once told me, “I never worry about finding an idea for a column. If I can’t come up with anything else I can always write about Larry Bird or Doug Flutie and everybody will read it.’’
Montville had Larry and Doug.
I have David Price. A.K.A. Hot Take Gold.
Price is the guy you all love to hate, or hate to love. Or both. But as long as he’s healthy and wearing a uniform for the Boston Red Sox, he is a topic at least every five days.
Now . . . just when we thought we were all out on David Price . . . Cora puts him back in. And the stakes have never been higher for the $217 million man.
Sox fans were apoplectic Thursday when Cora boldly announced that Price will start Game 2. Selecting David Price to start any playoff game is like hiring Warren Beatty to present an Oscar, or choosing Roseanne Barr to sing the anthem. It’s like assigning Jimmy “Hot Fingers” McNally to guard the footballs or having umpire Angel Hernandez work a big playoff game. You get the idea.
And now, compounding the pressure, it’s a proverbial “must-win” game.
Related: Chris Sale showed a startling loss of command and velocity in his Game 1 start
Price makes $31 million per year. He has won a Cy Young Award and been one of the best regular-season pitchers of his generation. He is 39-19 with a 3.74 ERA since signing with the Red Sox. The Red Sox went 22-8 in his 30 starts this year.
But he turns into putty in the postseason. Fact, not opinion.
In 10 career postseason starts, Price is 0-9 with a 6.03 ERA. His teams are 0-10 in those games. It is a slump of historic dimension. (Only one other pitcher in postseason history has more than 10 starts without recording a win — Al Leiter.)
When asked to explain this Saturday afternoon, Price said, “I’ve given some answers for eight years. I really don’t have an answer for it. But I mean, it’s different baseball. It is. It’s fun. I enjoy it. Haven’t been successful the way that I know I can be and will be, but I look forward to going out there tomorrow.’’
When Price signed with the Red Sox he pledged to turn his postseason woes around during his time here in Boston.
Not yet.
Two years ago, after a 17-win season for the Sox, he got the ball in Cleveland for a playoff outing and was routed for five runs on six hits and two walks in 3⅓ innings of a 6-0 loss. The Sox wound up getting swept by the Tribe.
Related: Alex Cora ejected from Game 1
One week ago, Price made his second postseason start for the Sox and failed to make it out of the second inning. He gave up prodigious homers to Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez and was mercifully lifted after Andrew McCutchen almost knocked the Wall over with a rocket RBI single that would have been a homer in any other ballpark. Price was booed with gusto when he was pulled from the game and the Red Sox went on to lose, 6-2 — their only loss in the first-round series.
After that game Price took all awkward questions and said, “My spirits aren’t down. My confidence isn’t down. I’m looking forward to getting back out there and getting another opportunity . . . I know I’m more than capable of winning games as a starter in October. That’s what I look forward to doing.’’
Eovaldi and Porcello submitted good outings in Yankee Stadium where the Sox eliminated the Bronx Bombers. Accordingly, it was presumed that Price would be moved back in the Boston rotation for the ALCS. He looked like a potential Game 4 starter, where he would be pitching in a climate controlled environment, a safe distance from the bloodthirsty Fenway throng.
Nope. It’s Game 2. With the Sox trailing the world champs, 1-0.
“I did expect to make more starts for us,’’ Price said. “Alex told me before we got off the field that night [Tuesday clincher in New York]. That was special.’’
“I’m not a big believer of like, ‘he’s clutch, he’s not clutch,’ ’’ said Cora. “There’s guys that execute and there’s guys that don’t. I know he pitched well against [the Astros]. I trust the guy. He was actually the best pitcher in the [ALDS] last year . . . I think he’s going to make some adjustments and he’ll be fine.’’
Recovering from arm problems, Price pitched 6⅔ shutout innings over two relief outings against the Astros last October when Cora was watching from the Houston bench (Cora was bench coach for the 2017 world champs). He beat Houston on a Saturday night in June this season. Since joining the Red Sox, Price is 3-0 with a 2.43 ERA in eight appearances (including playoffs) vs. the ’Stros.
“Execute pitches,’’ Price said. “That’s what I need to do. Fastball command from both sides of the plate . . . You got to have faith in yourself. Knowing you are going to bounce back, make pitches, and help your team win.’’
Justin Verlander, who picked up the win for Houston Saturday, was Price’s teammate with the Tigers in 2014-15 and was asked about the oddity of Price’s postseason failures.
“I do find that odd,’’ said Verlander. “I hope the trend continues for the short term, though.’’
I say this is the night Price finally delivers. And Cora will look like a genius again.
But if Price flops again and the Sox lose, it could be the last Fenway game of 2018. And fans forever will wonder why Price got the ball in the most important game of the season.
Dan Shaughnessy can be reached at dshaughnessy@globe.com