Watch CBS News

David Price And John Farrell's Frustrating Disconnect

By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- While the de facto Red Sox ace continues to lament his struggles to "get better," his manager continues to feign ignorance to his dissatisfaction.

David Price delivered another strong overall outing for the Red Sox on Tuesday night against the Texas Rangers. But it was yet another solid performance undone by a bad first inning and untimely mistakes.

After allowing a home run to Shin-Soo Choo on the first pitch of the game and loading the bases with the next three batters, Price escaped the first inning allowing only two earned runs then retired 12 of the next 15 batters to get through five innings. The Red Sox tied the game in the fifth, but the tie was short-lived as Price let up a sixth-inning double to Rougned Odor that scored Elvis Andrus from first base.

Price retired the next seven batters in a row to complete another eight-inning start but told reporters after the game that he's still not good enough.

"I'm tired of this," said Price. "It's not me. I've got to get better."

Contrast his comments with those of manager John Farrell, who once again spit out a typical Farrell take: summarizing the game as if you didn't watch it, tacitly dismissing the bad parts, and mixing in some insufferably pedantic descriptions of his pitches that do nothing for anyone - except serve to highlight the obtuse nature of his comments.

"They got to [Price] early but he settled into, I thought, a very strong eight innings of work," said Farrell. "He became much more efficient. [He had] decent power to his fastball, swing-and-miss to his changeup, but [allowed] a couple of runs early."

That quote isn't as bad as Farrell's "best stuff of the season" comment after Price allowed four runs to the lowly Tampa Bay Rays in his last start, in which Farrell sounded like even he couldn't pretend to believe his own B.S. But it still exemplifies an apparent lack of accountability and awareness for the performance and mindset of his No. 1 starter, who has been very good at times but not nearly as dominant as a $31 million perennial Cy Young contender is expected to be.

"There's nothing positive to point at now," said Price. "I've got to be better. That's why they brought me here and I'm not doing that right now."

Don't expect the same rhetoric from Farrell, who always manages to shoehorn needless positivity into performances that even the player said repeatedly was not as good as he needs to be. Granted, it was a good start on paper and the Red Sox should win most games where the starter gives up three runs in eight innings. But when the player who's supposed to be the ace is on the mound, that's no time to cry about run support. That guy is supposed to lock teams down.

For the most part, Price did that. But he, along with the rest of the Red Sox rotation, continues to be plagued by poor first innings that mar everything that comes after it, no matter how strong. Price repeatedly attributed his isolated struggles to problems with "execution," but ask Farrell and it was just a night of "missed opportunities."

"We had ample opportunities with men on base in almost every single inning," said Farrell. "A big fourth inning when we weren't able to capitalize more than the one run ... so, missed opportunities tonight."

Farrell isn't necessarily wrong. The Red Sox failed to score a run in the first inning after getting runners at first and third with no outs. In the aforementioned fourth inning, the team's only run came on a Xander Bogaerts bases-loaded walk before David Ortiz grounded out to end the threat. But that's what separates the aces from other starters: they consistently get out of those jams. They minimize or even eliminate opportunities like that. Rangers starter A.J. Griffin is not an ace, but he came through like one in those key situations while Price has often come up short in similar spots.

Price did escape what could have been massive damage in the first inning and "settled in" after that, for the most part. But a pitcher of Price's caliber shouldn't have to "settle in" after giving up two runs - he should begin the game settled in. No Red Sox starter has done that on a consistent basis, save for All-Star Steven Wright.

Even Price continues to say he needs to get better. He knows it. It seems that everyone but his manager knows. It might do Price some good to hear more calls for improvement from his manager. Farrell doesn't need to say "Price sucks" but it's not helping at all that he continues to sweep his issues under the rug. There could, at least, be some shred of awareness that Price is down on himself and wants to improve. Nope, just more useless rubbish about "decent power to his fastball" and fragmented suppression of the downsides to his performance.

Price had a 2.43 ERA in eight starts from May 12 to June 19 but has dropped off with a 7.02 ERA and three home runs allowed in his last three outings. Price simply has not pitched like an ace over the course of the season and he knows he needs to get better. Everyone who looks at his ERA knows - except, of course, Farrell. Until this seeming disconnect between player and manager comes closer together, it's hard to imagine he will ever improve.

Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.