LOS ANGELES — In a surprise announcement following the Boston Red Sox’s 9-4 comeback win in Game 4 of the World Series on Saturday, manager Alex Cora said that David Price, not Chris Sale, will start Game 5 as the club tries to finish off the Los Angeles Dodgers and secure the championship.
Sale, who threw only four innings in Game 1 of the series, would have been working on regular rest in Game 5. He spoke to reporters before the game Saturday — as is customary for the next day’s starting pitchers — and did not say anything to suggest he would not be available on Sunday. Price warmed up in the bullpen during Game 4 but did not appear in the contest.
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Price pitched ⅔ of an inning in relief in the 18-inning marathon Game 3. His last start came in a six-inning effort in Game 2 of the series on Wednesday, meaning he will be starting on three days’ rest for both the second time this postseason and only the second time since 2008.
“We feel like David is good tomorrow,” Cora said Saturday. “We talked about it before the game, and this is a good spot for David, in a National League park to start a game. Obviously he's been throwing the ball well.
“It's not that we're playing with the lead, but we feel that for the team, for where we're at pitching-wise it's good to go with David. We talked about it the whole day and we decided — I just talked to Chris and David — that's what we're going to do.”
Price entered October with a reputation for poor postseason performance and did little to allay those concerns in a rough start in Game 2 of the ALDS against the New York Yankees and a shaky one in Game 2 of the ALCS against the Houston Astros. But after he warmed up in the bullpen during Game 4 of the ALCS, he pitched a gem on short rest in the clinching Game 5. He followed that success with six solid innings in the Red Sox’s Game 2 win in the World Series.
Sale could be available out of the bullpen on Sunday, but Cora said he will start Game 6 back in Boston on Tuesday if it becomes necessary.
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