Price, callups help Sox lock down series win
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ANAHEIM -- Following a pair of bullpen-heavy games to open their series against the Angels, the Red Sox had five new pitchers available for Sunday’s finale at Angel Stadium, between David Price’s return from the injured list and rosters expanding.
Four of those pitchers got into the game as the Red Sox beat the Angels, 4-3, bolstered by back-to-back homers from Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez in the third.
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“These guys today, they stepped up and helped us win a ballgame,” manager Alex Cora said.
Out since Aug. 5 with a cyst on his left wrist, Price’s return was brief, but effective. In two scoreless innings, he allowed a hit and a walk while striking out two. Price threw 45 pitches (26 strikes), with his four-seam fastball topping out at 91.7 mph, right around his average for the season.
“We were thinking three [innings], but then, the effort, and obviously he hasn’t pitched in a while,” said Cora. “I didn’t feel too comfortable pushing him, this guy we really need for what we are going to accomplish. I took a gamble, we took him out. He’ll be ready for the next one.”
“I’m good,” said Price. “Commanded the strike zone with the three pitches, for the most part. Executed pitches when I needed to. That was good.”
Three September callups then combined to get through the next five innings: Travis Lakins (2 IP), Ryan Weber (2 IP) and Hector Velazquez (1 IP).
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The rookie Lakins, back with the Red Sox for his fifth Major League stint of the season, allowed a pair of runs on five hits and a walk. Though it’s been an arduous season going back and forth between the big leagues and Triple-A, he’s glad to do what he can when the team needs him.
“It’s still a dream every time I get called up,” said Lakins. “Just to be in this environment, to help the team out as much as I can in any sort of possible situation is awesome.”
Weber and Velazquez know a thing or two about bouncing around as well. It’s Weber’s fourth callup of 2019, which he opened with two scoreless frames. Velazquez, meanwhile, has spent the season going between the Majors, the injured list and Triple-A while alternating starting and relieving. He threw a scoreless seventh, aided by first baseman Sam Travis’ nice snag on a 100-mph hot shot off the bat of Brian Goodwin for a double play.
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“They did a great job,” said Price. “That’s what we’ve been able to do recently. Everybody that’s come in has picked up the starters.”
The Red Sox are now five games back of the second American League Wild Card spot. The Rays finished off a sweep of the Indians to move into the first spot by a half-game, while the A’s lost to slide out of the second Wild Card slot, a half-game behind the Tribe. Oakland is 4 1/2 games ahead of Boston.
The Red Sox's schedule over the final month of the season starts this week with series at home against the first-place Twins and Yankees. They also have a four-game set against Tampa Bay from Sept. 20-23, which might be the best chance for Boston to make a charge in the Wild Card race.
“For us, nothing is impossible in this game,” said Cora. “We’re very talented. That’s the same group that won a World Series. Obviously, it hasn’t happened the way we wanted, but I’ve been saying it all along: There’s different ways to get to the World Series. We took the difficult route, and we’re ready for it.”