We knew this was a possibility.
It has never been a mystery David Price that could very well be a chief element in whether or not the Red Sox accomplish their goals in 2018.
That reality was surfaced with Price as early as spring training, to which the pitcher gleefully embraced the notion. And after pitching so well in those first two outings of the season, it was a narrative he wasn't about to shy away from.
But while the importance of Price was always somewhat realized, there might not be a better time to soak in that conversation than right now. We've seen the good start, the brutal downturn and now three straight outings where he lefty pitched like a top-of-the-rotation weapon. What is the takeaway? This might be the most important player in this race for first-place.
If nothing else, a really good Price is trending toward becoming the biggest separator in the Red Sox' race against the Yankees. While the Sox' starter has ridden his Carpal Tunnel exercises to a 2.21 ERA (and three Red Sox wins) over the past three starts, New York's answer behind No. 1 starter Luis Severino, CC Sabathia, has fallen on tough times. His last three outings, Sabathia has totaled an 8.78 ERA and .317 batting average against.
Severino vs. Chris Sale? OK. But in these sort of pennant races, being able to lean on a top of the rotation after the top guy is invaluable. It was for the Yankees when Sabathia was rolling, and is now for the Red Sox with Price's re-emergence.
During Sabathia's recent downturn, nobody on the Yankees' staff has stepped up. Sonny Gray has come the closest (4.15 ERA), but the next top-of-the-rotation option, Masahiro Tanaka, continues to be underwhelming, managing a 6.46 ERA over his last three starts.
What the Yankees need is the kind of pitcher Price represented Wednesday night. Someone who is going keep his team in the game while its offense figures things out, which is exactly what the lefty did in his six innings against the Rays, allowing one run.
So, does Price's current existence put the Red Sox' starting staff on par with the likes of Houston? Nope. The Astros are head and shoulders, boasting the top three starters (ERA-wise) in the American League. But what it does is offer Alex Cora's team a chance when going up against such a challenge, a dynamic that would also be relevant when staring down Cleveland's trio of Trevor Bauer (2.35 ERA), Corey Kluber (2.36) and Mike Clevinger (2.87).
There is a long way to go before we can definitively say Price is ready to hold up his end of the bargain in this one-two-punch blueprint presented by Dave Dombrowski. Sure, he has rediscovered a changeup that diminishes the concern over a fastball that averaged under 92 mph Wednesday night. And maybe this evolution is good enough. But it would disingenuous to suggest these last three starts are absolutely what the Red Sox will be getting the rest of the way, and, most importantly, through a postseason run.
But with the Red Sox suddenly back in front of the Yankees by 1 1/2 games, and Cora's club owning more wins than any team in the majors after the most recent start by Price, it does feel this might be somewhat of jumping off point.
It certainly has a different vibe than a few weeks ago.
