Here’s why the Red Sox will overpower Yankees, win the AL East
By Cody Rivera
2. A pair of aces in Sale and Price
When the Red Sox added Chris Sale to the rotation last year alongside David Price, they gave headline writers the greatest Christmas gift of all time: SALE PRICE. But in the meantime, when both pitchers are at the top of their game, they are as good of a 1-2 punch in a starting rotation as any.
Ninety-nine percent of the time, there’s never much concern about Sale. Watching him go out to the mound and blow hitters away with his filthy slider and his nearly invisible fastball is as normal as eating breakfast in the morning. All he does is pile up the strikeout count on a nightly basis. He’s an annual candidate for the Cy Young award, a true “ace” of a starting rotation. I’ve often said he’s the most electric starter the Red Sox have had since Pedro Martinez in the late ‘90s.
Price, on the other hand, isn’t always as reliable. He’s been a victim of injuries during his Red Sox tenure, and he’s also well-known for his off-the-field beef with Red Sox broadcaster and Hall of Fame pitcher Dennis Eckersley. When he’s pitching, he’s capable of being great, as we’ve seen plenty of times. But there have also been plenty of occasions where he’s taken a good beating on the mound.
Recently, Price has been the pitcher Red Sox fans want him to be. In his most recent start against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, Price tossed a complete game allowing just two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts. He even carried a shutout into the ninth inning.
If Price can be that guy for the rest of the season, he’ll play a huge part in the Red Sox beating out the Yankees for the division title. He and Sale will just have to overcome their past playoff woes and they’ll be all good.