David Price took the mound on Tuesday for the first time this spring and finally got the monkey off his back.
Yes, even coming off a World Series title, Price still had a chip on his shoulder as he toed the rubber for a meaningless spring training matchup vs. the Detroit Tigers. After his outing, Price wrote in a tweet that walking the final Dodgers batter he faced in October had haunted him ever since.
Other than the two-run home run he let up to Jordy Mercer in the third inning, Price was solid in his spring debut. Those were the only two runs the left-hander allowed in three innings, and he allowed only one other hit while walking two and striking out four. He threw 26 of his 42 pitches for strikes.
Though Price finally got over that World Series walk, he still was critical of himself for the bases on balls he allowed Tuesday.
“What bothers me most about it was the two two-out walks that I had,” Price told reporters after the game. “I gave up that homer and went to the next hitter and was able to bounce back and throw strikes and get that third out. For the first time out there in so many months, I’m OK with it.’’
Manager Alex Cora, meanwhile, had nothing but praise for Price following his anticipated start.
With Price's spring debut in the books, the attention shifts to fellow left-hander Chris Sale, who is slated to make his own debut on Saturday vs. the Braves.
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