Morning sports update: Alex Cora diagnosed David Price’s recent struggles
"I just feel like location-wise, he's been off."
The Red Sox lost to the Rays on Tuesday night, 6-5. The defeat puts Boston two games back in the American League wild card chase.
The series continues tonight, with first pitch set for 7:10 p.m.
Alex Cora’s thoughts on David Price: Red Sox starter David Price has struggled in two of his last three starts. Beyond that, Boston has lost all four of the most recent games in which Price has pitched. While Price is far from the only player at fault in some of the defeats, manager Alex Cora shared his thoughts on the left-hander’s struggles after surrendering nine hits and four runs over just 4.1 innings on Tuesday.
“I just feel like location-wise, he’s been off,” said Cora. “He’s a guy that’s very precise. When he’s on, the fastball in to righties, and then dominating the outside part of the plate against them, it’s always there. Cutter, sinker, changeup, fastball up, and he’s been off.”
“The start in Detroit,” Cora continued. “It was a good one, but a lot of foul balls, grinding at-bats, and then obviously the one in Baltimore, so we’ll take a look at it, but I think location is everything with him.”
Trivia: The day that the Red Sox traded Nomar Garciaparra (July 31, 2004), who played shortstop for Boston in the team’s game that night against the Twins?
(Answer at the bottom)
Hint: It was neither Garciaparra, nor Orlando Cabrera.
More from Boston.com:
- ‘Does anyone know what’s going on here?’: How the Revolution have saved their season
- Sports Q: Should Bill Parcells be in the Patriots’ Hall of Fame?
- Red Sox trade deadline updates: Edwin Diaz deal appears unlikely
- Trevor Bauer is headed to the Reds in a 3-team deal
- Jill Ellis reportedly steps down as United States Women’s National Team coach
- Le’Veon Bell is sorry he ruined your 2018 fantasy team
- Jayson Tatum defended LeBron James from criticism over celebrating son’s alley-oop
No rest for Joe Judge
: Patriots coach Joe Judge is ostensibly the team’s special teams coordinator. Yet, in the spirit of New England versatility, he’s also the receivers coach. Patriots Wire’s Henry McKenna explored how Judge is kept constantly busy by his various roles. [Patriots Wire]
Kevan Miller and David Pastrnak did some offseason catching up:
“Holy tan, buddy.”
Not even a bit of poor cell service could stop Millsy from checking in on @pastrnak96‘s trip to Spain.#StayingConnected | #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/kl4vp3TKij
— x – Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) July 30, 2019
A brawl occurred on Tuesday night between the Red and Pirates:
There is history between the two teams and the players involved. Outfielder Yasiel Puig’s involvement was further complicated by the breaking news that he’d just been traded.
The Reds’ Twitter account summarized things succinctly:
There’s a lotta stuff going on rn
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 31, 2019
Also, an absolutely un-hittable sequence of pitches from Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard:
This sequence by Thor is filthy 😳
(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/ua4Y6G1h0a
— ESPN (@espn) July 31, 2019
On this day: In 2004, the Red Sox completed a team-altering trade, sending legendary shortstop Nomar Garciaparra to the Cubs as part of a blockbuster four-team deal. In return, the Red Sox got first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz and shortstop Orlando Cabrera.
Though fans were initially distraught at the trading of one of the team’s franchise players, the team responded with a string of wins. Boston went 21-7 over the next month and the season culminated with a magical postseason and the first World Series win in 86 years.
Daily highlight: The no-look passes from Patrick Mahomes are back:
.@TheRealFrankC_ gets the holding call so @PatrickMahomes grudgingly throws a no-look dime to Carlos Hyde.
It’s a video game. #ShowTime pic.twitter.com/RDtQGeyCmQ
— Chiefs Reporter (@ChiefsReporter) July 30, 2019
Trivia answer: Ricky Gutierrez
