Major League Baseball

PRICE BETTER BUT STILL TAKES DEFEAT

Published Oct. 13, 2010 10:05 p.m. ET

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Left-hander David Price entered Tuesday's win-or-go-home Game 5 of the American League division series hoping for a little payback.

Price, admittedly "stung" by his performance in a Game 1 loss to the Rangers, relished the second chance, hoping to give the Rays a "better chance to win" in the biggest start of his career.

And Price did pitch better, allowing three runs over six innings, but it wasn't enough in a 5-1 season-ending loss to Texas.

It was the first time all season Price lost two starts in a row. He lost just three starts from July through September.

Unlike Price's first playoff start, when he gave up five runs and nine hits (including two homers) to Texas, the All-Star starter wasn't hit nearly as hard, as three Rays defensive miscues led to all of the runs against him. On two scoring plays, the ball wasn't even hit out of the infield. On the third, the ball was thrown into the outfield.

Price had hoped to follow the lead of fellow starters Matt Garza and Wade Davis.

"They got ahead and put people away when they needed to," Price said. "When runners got on, they shut the door. When we scored, they went out and got the shut-down inning."

Price gave up a run in the first inning on a seemingly innocent play. Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus stole second as Josh Hamilton hit a grounder to first. Carlos Pena tossed the ball to Price at first for the out, but Andrus hustled around to score.

In the fourth, Price thought he had strike three on Nelson Cruz to end a 1-2-3 inning, but a two-strike pitch was called a ball. Cruz then doubled, the only extra-base hit Price gave up (after allowing four in Game 1).

Cruz scored when, as he tried to steal third, Rays catcher Kelly Shoppach threw the ball wildly into leftfield. Price nearly had Cruz for the final out in the sixth when he was covering first on a potential inning-ending double play. But by the time Cruz was called safe, a hustling Vladimir Guerrero beat Price's throw home with a headfirst slide. Price was done after six innings, allowing eight hits and striking out six on 106 pitches.

For Price, it was disappointing end to a spectacular season. He should earn serious Cy Young Award consideration after winning 19 games and going undefeated in September (4-0, 1.67), including a victory Sept. 28 against Baltimore to clinch a postseason berth.

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@sptimes.com

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