ARLINGTON -- Red Sox lefty David Price didn't allow the Rangers much contact as he struck out nine in a solid performance Tuesday night while earning the victory with six-plus scoreless innings in an 11-4 rout. Afterward, he also didn't give the media much context about a recent dustup involving himself and NESN broadcaster Dennis Eckersley.
Price was dominant throughout against Texas, scattering six hits and walking two in his first scoreless outing in eight starts this year. Only one of the six hits, a double by Adrian Beltre, was for extra bases. Price was especially aggressive with his fastball, and the results spoke for themselves.
"They're a team that's given me a lot of problems ever since I've been in the big leagues, so if I was going to lose this game, I was going to lose it with my best pitch," Price said. "[The fastball velocity] was there my first start in Chicago, not so much probably my next two outings. … It's just getting repetition out there and confidence in my health is there. I'm still getting ready the same way, still don't watch video, still don't look at scouting reports. I want to go out there and pitch my game. That's what I've always done."
Addressing the media for the first time since getting involved in an argument with Eckersley on the team plane from Boston to Toronto last Thursday -- reportedly over comments Eckersley made about one of Price's teammates -- Price didn't apologize but he seemed eager to dismiss the topic.
Asked if he cared to comment on the altercation with the Hall of Famer, Price said simply, "No. Standing up for my teammates. Whatever crap I catch for that, I'm fine with it."
Price left after 106 pitches, having walked a batter to start the seventh. He has had issues with a cracked fingernail on his left middle finger over the past three starts, but Farrell and Price said that was not the reason for his departure from the game Tuesday.
"Whether or not it was a little bit of fatigue setting in or just the fact that it was a long [half] inning, at that point I wasn't going to let him grind through another hitter or two," Farrell said.