Bedard: The New David Price takes another step overcoming rocky fourth inning

We had seen this movie before. The 38,644 crammed into Fenway Park had seen it before. Everyone knew how it was going to end.

There was Red Sox starting pitcher David Price, cruising through the first three innings of his first World Series start with a 1-0 lead, when he encountered major turbulence in the fourth inning.

A single by David Freese. Single by Manny Machado. Walk to Chris Taylor to load the bases.

Oh boy, here we go. Get the bullpen ready. Price's win in Game 5 at Houston was a fluke.

Matt Kemp hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game. After striking out Kike Hernandez, Yasiel Puig had an RBI single to give the Red Sox their first deficit of the series at 2-1.

Price is done. Stick a fork in him.

Price struck out Austin Barnes to end the inning. But, surely, he was done. Price doesn't usually recover from this type of inning — his "Achilles heel," he would say later. Even Alex Cora, who had Joe Kelly get loose with the bases loaded, admitted he thought about pulling Price after the fourth inning.

"It seemed like they made some adjustments the second time through the lineup," Cora said. "Started laying off pitches inside; he wasn't getting that call. He kept going to the two-seamer in to the righties, and they were close pitches, but they were called balls. And it seems like they started looking for off-speed down in the zone, the changeup.  ... I was close."

But Cora stuck with Price.

Make that, The New David Price.

And it paid off.

Backed with the confidence gained with his Game 5 win in the ALCS and the faith of his manager — the same guy who pulled Price after 1.2 innings pitched (the shortest postseason start of Price's career) in his Game 2 start against the Yankees in the Division Series — Price retired the next six Dodgers he faced in the fifth and sixth innings to pick up his second-straight postseason victory after going 0-9 in his previous 11 starts.

After the disaster against the Yankees, Price had the "baby steps" start in Game 2 against the Astros where he allowed four runs in 4.2 innings pitched. But it was a victory because there was a victory — it marked the first time Price's team won one of his postseason starts.

Then came Game 5 in Houston.

Price's '18 playoff stats leading in: 0-1, 9.95 ERA, 1.51 WHIP.

Since: 2-0, 1.50 ERA, 0.75 WHIP.

The New David Price — the guy who earns his $30 million per season — indeed.

"He had the tough run against the Yankees," Cora said. "But the first start against Houston ... he threw the ball extremely well. He pitched great in Houston and today he was amazing. He was missing his spots by not much. He was pitching to the edges of the strike zone. Good fastball, good two-seamer, good changeup.

"And like I said, in Houston, I get it, the numbers and all that, but this guy is a great pitcher, he's been one of the best pitchers in the big leagues for a while and he cares. On a personal note, I'm very proud of him, very happy for him that now he can keep pitching. Like he said the last time, there's not going to be questions in spring training about David Price in October. He beat the Houston Astros in Houston. He beat the Dodgers here in Fenway Park. So I'm happy for that because he deserves it. This guy works, he cares about his teammates, and like I said before, he's one of the best pitchers in the big leagues."

After the game, Price admitted that halting the bleeding in the fourth inning was a confidence boost.

"That was very important," Price said. "I just told myself to continue to make pitches. I made a lot of good pitches that inning. They hit some. Took some. That was a tough inning, it could have spun out of control pretty fast. And it's been one of my Achilles heels especially in the playoffs and even in the regular season, is that big inning. Being able to stop it at two right there after the Puig hit to center, that was big for us."

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts lamented that his team couldn't do further damage in the fourth against Price.

"We had him ... we had him on the ropes," Roberts said. "I thought that early on we stressed him. We had some situational at-bats, got some baserunners, took our walks. And the difference is they got the big hit when they needed and we didn't.

"You've got to give credit to Price. He made pitches when he needed to."

A team win in Game 2 against Houston. His first postseason starting victory in his Game 5 triumph at Minute Maid. A World Series victory on Wednesday night.

The postseason of redemption for Price marches on with only one thing left to accomplish.

"This is the biggest stage in baseball. There's no other stage that's going to be bigger than pitching in a World Series game, unless it's Game 7 of the World Series," Price said. "To be able to do that, it feels good, for sure. I'm pumped for myself, pumped for all my teammates and coaches for us to be two wins away, and I'm 2-0 right now in the World Series, that's a good feeling."