Unser Chat » Call it the monkey on his back. Or the albatross around

BOSTON —his neck.No matter how you say it Chris Young Jersey , David Price takes the mound for the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the American League Division Series hoping to finally get over that elusive hump. He also will to try to pitch the Red Sox to a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.The left-hander, in the third year of a seven-year, $217 million contract, is 2-8 in the postseason. But both of those wins came in relief, and he takes an 0-8 record and 5.84 ERA as a postseason starter into his matchup with Masahiro Tanaka Saturday night at Fenway Park.Article continues below ...Friday night, the Red Sox got a three-run homer from J.D. Martinez in the first inning and built a 5-0 lead before holding on for a 5-4 series-opening victory over their rivals.“Just another game,” Price said before Friday night’s game. “Don’t treat it any differently than any other game I’ve been a part of this year or in my career. That’s what I need to do tomorrow. That’s what I look forward to doing.”Asked if that’s different from what he’s done in the past, Price flashed some humor, saying, “No, I just don’t have to answer for you guys. I’ve been asked that quite a while now. I really can’t put my finger on it. That was my generic answer.”Price went 16-7 with a 3.58 ERA this season, and he is 15-14 with a 4.90 ERA in 42 career appearances — 41 starts — against the Yankees. He is 8-8 with a 4.83 ERA against the Yankees in New York, and in two starts in the Bronx this season, Price is 0-2 and allowed 12 earned runs — eight home runs — in 8 2/3 innings.That is not a factor in these playoffs. At Fenway this season, he left his first start against New York after an inning with a numbness problem in his pitching hand. But he gave up two runs on four hits in six innings against the Yankees on Aug. 5.Overall against the Yankees this season, Price is 0-3 with a 10.34 ERA in four starts.Tanaka, who went 12-6 with a 3.75 ERA during the regular season, has an impressive 8-4 record and 4.35 ERA in 18 career starts against the Red Sox. He is 4-2 with a 3.90 ERA in nine starts at Fenway. But this year has told a different story. He went 1-0 against Boston in 2018 but had an ERA of 7.58 in four starts against the Red Sox, yielding six home runs in 19 innings. His one victory over the Red Sox this season came back on April 11 Cam Bedrosian Jersey , and he gave up six runs in five innings in that game at Fenway Park.He also struggled in his final two starts of the regular season, yielding eight earned runs on 14 hits in eight innings. He went 0-2 in those two starts after two straight scoreless appearances.Tanaka is 2-2 with a 1.44 ERA in four postseason starts, throwing seven shutout innings against Cleveland in last year’s ALDS before posting a 1-1 record and 1.38 ERA against the Houston Astros in the ALCS.Tanaka talked about the playoff atmosphere he expects at Fenway on Saturday night.“I think I have an idea that it’s going to be intense,” he said through an interpreter. “But me personally I haven’t experienced the Yankees versus Red Sox playoff atmosphere yet. So, you know, at this point I’m sure it’s going to be intense.”Martinez is 8-for-18 with three home runs against Tanaka, while Rafael Devers is 4-for-10 (.400), Andrew Benintendi 8-for-24 (.333) and Mookie Betts 13-for-42 (.310) with two long balls. But Christian Vazquez is 2-for-13 (.154), Jackie Bradley Jr. 5-for-32 (.156), Ian Kinsler 3-for-19 (.158) with a homer and Mitch Moreland 5-for-23 (.217).The current Yankees roster is hitting a combined .318 (97-for-305) against Price. Luke Voit is 3-for-5 (.600) with two homers, Miguel Andujar 4-for-8 (.500), Gary Sanchez 6-for-13 (.462) with five home runs, Austin Romine 7-for-16 (.438), Didi Gregorius 13-for-35 (.371) and Giancarlo Stanton 6-for-19 (.316). Aaron Judge is 2-for-11 (.182) and Aaron Hicks 7-for-33 (.231).The Yankees suffered the loss of Aaron Hicks in the fourth inning of Game 1. The center fielder left with a tight hamstring after collecting a walk and single in two plate appearances. Brett Gardner replaced Hicks, who was still being evaluated. He missed time with the same injury in the final week of the season.“He’ll get examined further tomorrow, and have an MRI and everything,” said manager Aaron Boone. “He felt like it might have been cramping, so we’ll just have to see. I haven’t personally spoken to him yet since he’s come out of the game.”The Red Sox used Chris Sale and five relievers — including scheduled Game 3 starter Rick Porcello — in nailing down Friday night’s win.Sale, who had pitched just 17 innings since July 27 because of left shoulder inflammation http://www.angelsfanproshop.com/authentic-zack-cozart-jersey , worked 5 1/3 innings and struck out eight in getting his first career postseason win. It was also the first victory as a starter by any member of the current Boston pitching staff.“He did an outstanding job for us,” said manager Alex Cora. “Gave us a chance to win the game.”Said Boone, whose team stranded 10: “I thought he was good. You know, not his dominant self necessarily, but I thought he did a really nice job of mixing his pitches, changing speeds. His changeup, slider, were a factor.” CHICAGO (AP) — With Pedro Strop sidelined by a hamstring injury, Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon gave the ball to Jorge De La Rosa for the ninth inning.And it worked.The 37-year-old De La Rosa got three outs for his first career save, helping the Cubs top the Cincinnati Reds 3-2 on Friday night.Ian Happ hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning as NL Central-leading Chicago stayed 1 1/2 games ahead of second-place Milwaukee, which posted a 7-4 victory over Pittsburgh. Ben Zobrist had three hits, and Dillon Maples (1-0) earned his first career win.De La Rosa surrendered a one-out double to Curt Casali and walked Billy Hamilton with two down before Scott Schebler flied out to center. It was the first save opportunity for Chicago since Strop strained his left hamstring trying to beat out a double-play grounder during Thursday’s 4-3 victory at Washington, shelving the key reliever for the rest of the regular season.Strop had been subbing for closer Brandon Morrow, who is on the disabled list with a right arm injury.After Cole Hamels allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings, Maples got the final out of the seventh, Jaime Garcia tossed a perfect eighth and De La Rosa closed it out in his 426th major league appearance.Maddon called it an “unlikely bullpen.”“The walk to Hamilton made it interesting, but (De La Rosa) had great composure,” he said. “First big league save, wow. Good for him.”Happ’s homer was just his second in 22 games. The 24-year-old switch hitter is batting .186 over the span.“It’s been a while since I’ve had one of those Blake Parker Jersey ,” Happ said. “To get a hit in that situation coming off what we’ve had to do the last couple of weeks, to give us a chance to win a ballgame, it was great.”Cincinnati had won four of six, including two of three against the contending Los Angeles Dodgers. The last-place Reds wasted a terrific start by Matt Harvey, who struck out six in six scoreless innings.“It was just about getting ahead,” Harvey said. “The big thing was being able to mix different pitches for a strike and really throw it whenever I wanted to.“That was the first time in a long time that all four pitches were kind of doing exactly what I wanted to.”Cincinnati jumped in front on consecutive homers by Jose Peraza and Joey Votto in the fourth, but Chicago rallied after Harvey was replaced by David Hernandez (5-1).Victor Caratini led off the seventh with a single and David Bote reached on an error on third baseman Eugenio Suarez. After pinch-hitter Tommy La Stella hit into a forceout, Happ drove a 1-0 pitch into the bleachers in left-center.Hamels struck out seven to increase his career total to 2,396, matching Sandy Koufax for 48th on the all-time list. He is 4-0 in nine starts since he was acquired in a trade with Texas.CLOSER CONUNDRUMStrop had 11 saves in 13 opportunities since Morrow went on the DL in July. He is 6-1 with a 2.26 ERA over 59 2/3 innings in 60 appearances.Unless the Cubs can make a trade, Maddon said he envisions using a closer-by-committee approach, including veterans Steve Cishek, Justin Wilson and Jesse Chavez.TRAINER’S ROOMReds: RHP Lucas Sims is sidelined with a strain on his right side. “He’s got little something going on with his lat that he’s not available to pitch right now,” manager Jim Riggleman said.Cubs: Morrow (right biceps inflammation) is scheduled to throw a simulated game on Saturday. … Maddon said OF Jason Heyward (right hamstring tightness) might return next week.UP NEXTReds LHP Cody Reed (0-2, 5.08 ERA) faces Cubs ace Jon Lester (15-6, 3.57 ERA) on Saturday. Lester lost his last start on Monday to Milwaukee, exiting after 5 2/3 innings with lower back tightness.