David Price did not take his ALDS Game 2 loss to the Boston Red Sox in stride on Saturday. The Tampa Bay Rays ace allowed seven runs over seven innings and was taken deep twice by David Ortiz. Big Papi’s second home run was a towering shot in the eighth inning that wrapped around the right field foul ball. Ortiz took a few seconds to either admire his shot or determine whether it was fair or foul. Whatever he was doing, Price did not appreciate it.
“He knows how I’ve pitched him the last year and a half, probably two years,” Price told reporters after the game, via Evan Drellich of MassLive.com. “He steps in the bucket and he hits a homer, and he stares at it to see if it’s fair or foul — I’m sure that’s what he’d say. But as soon as he hit it and I saw it, I knew it was fair. Run.”
Ortiz has been known to stare down his homers even when they aren’t close to the foul pole, so you can understand why Price may have been frustrated. However, the comment about Papi was one of many that made Price sound like a sore loser. He also ripped the TBS’ analysts for being “nerds” and sent these tweets:
Trust me I don't want sympathy…I got beat tonight…so be it..I'll bounce back…3x ALLSTAR…2 time player choice…runner up cy…AND CY
— David Price (@DAVIDprice14) October 6, 2013
No you forgot CLEAN sweep of every college award…NEVER BEEN DONE RT @mbschultz74: @DAVIDprice14 you forgot Brooks Wallace award winner too
— David Price (@DAVIDprice14) October 6, 2013
not bragging…you can google that..true fans understand..fake one don't..PERIOD RT @Yons18: @DAVIDprice14 This is the ultimate humble brag.
— David Price (@DAVIDprice14) October 6, 2013
What does winning the Cy Young Award and other awards in college have to do with pitching poorly in Game 2 of the playoffs? Absolutely nothing. Price failed to put his team in position to win. That happens to the best pitchers in the game, but he doesn’t need to remind people of that. Price simply needs to hope his teammates play well enough over the next three games to keep the team alive. Otherwise, his playoff loss could be the last game he pitches in a Rays uniform.
