ALCS Game 5 Pitching Predictions

Red(s)HawksFan

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Jan 23, 2009
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Maine
p.s. Eovaldi on 1 day rest seems like a very, very bad idea.
In a "he could get hurt" sense or in a "he'll be terrible" sense?

I think the implication from Olney is that if the situation is perfect, such as Sox lead, the right part of the lineup, and a need to bridge to Barnes/Kimbrel, Eovaldi may see action. Basically if him coming in and getting one or two outs gets the team that much closer to ending the series tonight, Cora may pull the trigger since it may mean not needing Eovaldi for 7-8 days (WS Game 3 is next Friday).
 

SoxInTheMist

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Jul 18, 2005
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I don't think it matters much who pitches tonight for Sox. It's all on the offense. If they can only score a couple of runs then it doesn't matter who we have pitching. If they score 4-5+ then I think we can patch it together with anybody and everybody. We put too much emphasis on any one player - especially starting pitchers. The Sox have a very solid 1-25 team. Anyone can, and will, step up at any time to come up with a win. This feels like a regular season getaway day game where we put up the 'B' team and still figure out a way to win.
 

notmannysfault

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Dec 15, 2002
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Weighing in:

Price surprises with 4 deservedly earned runs over five IP, and:

the Sox eff with Mr. Upton and explode for 11.

Kimbrel rests, but Erod and or Hembree are overused (waah), and Barnes may get another inning of arm tax depending on event sequence.

And then tonight around 12:00 or so, we all delight, for the forth time in 14 yrs :) and the fifth time in my lifetime (#1 ended in me crying so hard I vomited...sad but factual).

So pumped.
 

ookami7m

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Price goes 5 innings 4ER, 4BB, 6K - gets his first post season W when the bats take Verlander to the woodshed.
 

patoaflac

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May 6, 2016
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3.2, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4K.
Love your optimism. I have always been in the pessimistic side, because of al the terrible things I saw from1967 to 2003. But since the "curse" was reversed, I've seen a lot of compensating things: Lowe, JD Drew, Victorino, etc Of course it will be a new miracle (one of the biggest) to see Price outperform Verlander, but maybe Verlander´s pressure could pull out something good and maybe Price finally performs in the postseason.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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Sep 9, 2008
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Astros OPS against lefties .803 this year.

Even putting the Price post-season narrative to the side and forgetting that he's on short rest, he could give up runs without pitching that poorly. This is a really tough ask for Price.

I have a modest fantasy that somehow the Price of old shows up and just dominates. But it's not realistic. The bats are going to have to be hot for the Red Sox to win tonight.
 

Hank Scorpio

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Apr 1, 2013
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Salem, NH
I'm tired of saying "this is the game where Price turns it around in the postseason"...

I predict he gets absolutely creamed tonight.

1 IP, 2B, 4 HR, 2 BB, 1K, 7 ER

TBS announcers come across as incredibly pleased delivering the following lines:

"AND THE HOUSTON ASTROS FINALLY STRIKE FIRST!"
"DEEP TO RIGHT! THERE WILL BE NO INTERFERENCE ON THIS ONE! BACK TO BACK JACKS FOR HOUSTON!"
"AND SUDDENLY PRICE CANNOT THROW A STRIKE!"
"And Alex Cora will get the bullpen up in the very first inning."
"AND NOW GONZALEZ GETS INTO ONE! FOUR NOTHING ASTROS!"
"This inning has been a disaster for Boston."
"GAP SHOT! ALL THE WAY TO THE WALL! TWO RUNNERS WILL COME TO THE PLATE!"
"This Houston ballclub has shown itself to be as resilient and tenacious as any in baseball."
 

KillerBs

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Nov 16, 2006
906
Only fair to acknowledge that most of us (me included) badly underestimated what Price would do.

Why we were so wrong?

Well most obviously in his last 2 starts he got hammered by the Yanks and struggled thru 4.2 against Houston walking 4 and giving up 4 runs. And he was working on 3 days rest and had warmed up in pen night before. We bought into transparent BS about Price just not being up to it in the play-offs. His last couple starts in the regular season were less than impressive. We dismissed the significance of his 2 month dominance between mid July and mid September.

Even more, from his last couple starts, it looked like he was working with 91-92 2/4 seam, 87 cutter, 85 change, against a heavy RHP lineup that could mash with a short porch in LF. Seemed to me, to succeed with that stuff, he had to have pinpoint control and even if he hit his spots he would be very hittable.

So he comes out dealing 94-95 with the two and four seam, absolutely dotting it on both sides. The change and cutter now become real weapons. No mystery why the David Price we saw last night gets a lot of guys out.

No doubt, he found something somewhere since his last couple starts.

Notes to self: don't overreact to small sample sizes in the playoffs! David Price with 93/94+ MPH heater is a very good pitcher.