David Price On Home Runs: 'Got To Make Better Pitches'
BOSTON (CBS) -- Red Sox ace David Price was hard on himself after Tuesday night's tough-luck loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Price threw eight strong innings, allowing just five hits and no walks and striking out 11.
Unfortunately, two of the Orioles' hits were home runs that plated the three runs that led to Baltimore's 3-2 victory over the Red Sox. The offense mostly could not solve Orioles starter Chris Tillman, who allowed one run in seven innings, his only blemish coming on a Jackie Bradley Jr. solo home run in the bottom of the seventh.
Price however, blamed himself for the loss, in which he allowed a solo home run to Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop on the first pitch of the top of the eighth inning, just after Bradley's homer cut Baltimore's lead in half.
"The last [home run] was a slider in to Schoop and I didn't get it where I wanted to," Price told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Jonny Miller after the game. "It was kind of like the one I gave up [last time out] in San Fran and that's tough.
"[I've] got to make better pitches. Got to execute better."
Price has allowed only seven runs in his last 23 innings, all on home runs. He has struck out 23 batters in that span.
Despite the minimal run support, Price feels a single run should be enough for a pitcher of his caliber to deliver a win and despite the overall strong outing he expects to continue to get better.
"I'm better than three runs, I know that," said Price. "That's what I've done my entire career. If you told me whenever I get to the field I can have eight innings and three runs, I'm not going to take that. I'm going to take my chance to go out there and put up nine zeroes.
"I'm getting there, I know that."
LISTEN: Adam Jones and Rich Keefe discuss Price's outing
