Price, Red Sox ready themselves for Twins
David Price has yet to post his usual gaudy numbers in 2016. Slowly, however, things appear to be turning around for Boston’s chief offseason acquisition.
The southpaw snaps back into action tonight vs. Minnesota, with a 7:10 p.m. ET first pitch at Fenway Park. Online sports book Bovada.lv couldn’t show much more confidence in the host club, giving Price & Co. odds of -275 to prevail. The Twins, on the other hand, embody +235 underdogs.
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After another gargantuan offensive showing in Thursday’s series opener, the Red Sox fell hard roughly 14 hours ago. Paul Molitor’s gang edged them, 2-1, as Miguel Sano delivered the go-ahead RBI with a double in the sixth. The setback negated a quality performance from Eduardo Rodriguez, who punched out eight.
This evening, Price receives the call on the mound. Despite a brutal April, he’s actually 6-3 with a 4.06 ERA in 11 home appearances. The five-time All-Star even boasts four straight Beantown starts of at least eight innings.
Of course, Price’s most recent outing was a microcosm of an up-and-down campaign. The Yankees ripped him for 11 hits over the weekend, and the Tennessee native notched just one strikeout. Can he regain the swing-and-miss stuff against a Minnesota bunch whose history with No. 24 basically sends shivers down the spine of every fan in the Twin Cities? (Seriously, Price owns a 9-3 career record vs. the franchise.)
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Meanwhile, Ricky Nolasco tries to stay in Molitor’s good graces. The veteran’s hold on a rotation spot seemed exceedingly tenuous as recently as a couple of months ago, but the past few weeks have yielded fine results. Nolasco limited Detroit to one run and three base knocks his last time out.
Don’t begin to grant the righty – or his AL-worst squad – a fair amount of legitimacy, though. Price should muzzle a lineup that bats .253 off lefties. Look for the lumber to then handle the rest.
SATURDAY MLB FREE PICK: RED SOX -1.5