Carrabis: Red Sox Should Start David Price In Game 3
BOSTON (CBS) -- David Price hasn't started a game since July 22. Barstool Sports' Jared Carrabis thinks it's time to give the left-hander the ball to start in the postseason, perhaps as soon as Sunday at Fenway Park.
Carrabis joined Toucher & Rich on Monday and said the Red Sox' options in the rotation for Games 1 and 2 are obvious: Chris Sale and Drew Pomeranz.
After that, though, if the Red Sox aren't up 2-0 in the series, Carrabis believes the Red Sox should turn to Price.
"If you're up 2-0, maybe you go Doug Fister there. But if you're trying to save your season at that point, that's where I go David Price," Carrabis stated. "Even if he can only give you four innings, you'd still take that, because the Red Sox have one of the best bullpens in baseball. So if you go David Price for four innings -- and he's been pitching really well, he hasn't given up a run since he returned from the most recent injury as he's been pitching out of the bullpen. But if he can go four scoreless, or hold Houston to just one run, you hope to score some runs early and then hand it over to the bullpen and hope that they can hold that lead."
Price, 32, went on the disabled list in the middle of the summer with inflammation in his throwing elbow. He returned from the DL in September as a reliever, and he allowed zero earned runs in his 8.2 innings of relief. In that same span, he allowed three hits and two walks while striking out 13 batters.
Carrabis noted that it was interesting how prior to this past weekend, the Red Sox used Price every fifth day, as if he were still a starting pitcher.
"I think that they're still keeping that possibility open that he could start a game," Carrabis said. "Whether or not that's Game 3 remains to be seen. But either way, if he's starting a game for you or he is used in that Andrew Miller type of role where he can come in and pitch multiple innings out of any spot in the game, the David Price factor will be felt in this postseason."
Price's postseason stats, of course, are dubious. He's 2-8 with a 5.54 ERA in 15 postseason appearances.
"If you are in a do-or-die situation, you need to go with your best," Carrabis said. "And Price is a better option than any of the other starters that you have besides Sale and Pomeranz."
Other options for the Game 3 starter include Rodriguez, Fister, and Porcello, all of whom have question marks surrounding their performances this season.
Listen to the full interview with Carrabis in the audio above!
