Bedard: All that's left for David Price is to conquer the Yankees - whether he likes it or not

Quite simply, David Price doesn't get much better than this.

Since giving up nine runs (seven earned) in 3.2 innings in an 11-5 loss at Texas on May 3 — which dropped him to 2-4 and a 5.11 ERA — Price has been unstoppable.

He threw six, largely harmless innings on Tuesday night against to lead the Red Sox to another blowout victory over the Angels — 9-1 this time, with the offense supplying 14 hits and four home runs.

Since that loss to the Rangers, Price hasn't allowed more than three runs in any of his nine starts (7-1).

"He’s David Price," pitching coach Dana LeVangie told BostonSportsJournal.com after the game. "He is who he wants to be right now, and that’s what we’re happy to see. We’re glad he’s on our team."

Price will make his next start on Sunday night in New York against the first-place Yankees, who won again to stay a half-game up on the Red Sox in the A.L. East.

The question is, will the Sox be happy he's on their team after that one?

The first time Price faced the Yankees this season, he exited after one inning pitched with numbness in his hand due to cold weather and four earned runs on April 11. Price was scratched from his next start against the Yankees — following the loss to the Rangers — again with numbness in his hand in what later became the infamous Fortnite episode.

Since then, Price has been on his recent hot streak. So given all of that, and with all the positive momentum he's built, Price is obviously excited to take the mound in a high-stakes game on Sunday night, right?

"I don't think I'll be able to go, so I don't think so," Price replied when I asked about his start.

"Fortnite?" someone else asked.

"Yeah, Fortnite," he said.

And that was that.

https://twitter.com/chad_amaral/status/1011803913987686402

That's the way it goes with Price and the Boston media these days. I'm not here to judge his responses to us. If he feels he's been wronged and that's the way he wants to answer, that's up to him.

I just care whether or not he produces. Games like Sunday night at Yankee Stadium are the reason why the Sox gave Price a seven-year, $217-million contract — not those meaningless starts against all the dregs in Major League Baseball. So far, he hasn't lived up to that contract in these big spots.

Since joining the Sox in 2016, Price is 2-4 in seven starts against the Yankees with a 7.28 ERA. He's allowed 53 hits in 37.1 innings against the Pinstripers.

But Price has beaten the Astros and Mariners in the past month, so the hope is definitely there that he'll be David Price on Sunday night.

"He’ll be fine," Alex Cora said in dismissing my question about whether he was excited to see Price in the showdown. "He’ll be ready for that one."

Against the toothless Angels (poor Mike Trout), Price only ran into one spot of trouble, in the third inning. With two outs around a home run by Chris Young, Price allowed back-to-back singles and then a walk to load the bases. That's when LeVangie visited the mound.

"Just a reset," he said. "Just get him back to that at-bat, that pitch, don’t worry about what just happened — a couple singles, no big deal. I was preaching to him about moving on from that. Just the reset button to get him back, get him a little breather."

It worked. Price zeroed in and got The Ghost of Albert Pujols to ground out weakly to shortstop. After that, Price cruised.

"All the above," LeVangie said of what's working for Price. "He’s healthy, throwing the ball with conviction, he’s trusting his stuff, he’s executing, he’s using all his pitches and working both sides of the plate. You saw today he worked both sides of the plate, up in the zone, when he had to get a swing and miss. He did it all."

Now we all wait to see whether Price answers the bell with first place on the line.

"It’s another game that we're trying to win," LeVangie said. "We hope all our guys go out there and have success and pitch the way they can pitch. No added pressure, it’s just another game. There’s still a long way to go. That game right there isn’t going to end our season. The big thing is we protect our guys, make sure they’re healthy down the stretch and that’s the goal."

All of that is true. But it's also a fact that if Price goes out and struggles against the Yankees, the pressure he's already not happy with is only going to escalate.

Just another game, but one with long-term ramifications.