This is the David Price the Red Sox need

The Red Sox are rolling. 

With their 1-0 win over the Tigers Friday night Alex Cora's team is now 5 1/2 games over the Yankees in the American League East race, sitting 39 games over .500. In the last month, the Red Sox have now gone 20-4, not having lost two games in a row since June 21. (For a complete recap of the Red Sox win, click here.)

But all of it is presented with a caveat. If they are to truly going to carry these good times over to the postseason, the Red Sox need the best version of David Price. That's what they got in Detroit.

Price didn't allow a run over 6 1/3 innings, giving up four hits, striking out six and walking one. All a step in the right direction for the lefty considering the two-start bump in the road that came in New York and Kansas City.

But this one wasn't just a good outing. For Price, the start represented a path to what actually might make his effectiveness sustainable.

The Red Sox starter offered 21 changeups one start after totaling 35. Compare that to the outings against the Yankees and Royals and you can see a trend. It didn't matter that Price's fastball velocity was down to just under 93 mph. He was getting the kind of separation, deception, and location that will be a must going forward.

Against the Tigers, Price most notably broke out the pitch at perhaps the most important time. With the bases loaded and one out in the fourth inning, he broke off a changeup against James McCann with the count full. It resulted in a swing-and-miss strikeout. One batter later the starter finished off the inning by getting Victor Martinez to fly out to right on another changeup.

"He was good, man," Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters. "Breaking balls. Changeups. Backdoor cutters to righties. He battled. He did a good job. I think that 3-2 changeup, he threw a 3-2 changeup in a big spot, I think it was bases loaded. We haven't seen that the whole season. He's been able to use his changeup a little more, mix up his breaking ball. It's a better mix. You can see the results."

Cora added, "He's a guy when he's not missing, it's good to see. His stuff is always good. I like the windup. I like him out of the windup. That's good, but I think he was great. The game slowed down. They start changing pitchers like of like, it's not that I was worried, but there was a lot of downtime for two innings. But he was great. He did a good job. Fastballs up. I think as far as pitch mix, probably his best game today."

Price's importance is obvious, particularly considering who the Red Sox might have to match him up against when facing the Yankees (C.C. Sabathia), the Astros (Gerrit Cole) or the Indians (Trevor Bauer). He has shown flashes of being able to offer optimism, having allowed three runs or less in 12 starts this season, with the Red Sox going 11-1 in those games. His team is also 14-6 when he takes the mound.

There is something there, as Price proved in the series opener. Check in two months from now to see if the conversation is the same.