G35: Red Sox 11, Astros 1

Astros  - 010 000 000 -  1  7  1
Red Sox - 212 003 12x - 11 14  1

Another day, another rout by the rollicking red-hot Red Sox.

David Price (6.2-6-1-1-12, 113) turned in a strong outing after some stumbling in the early innings. Xander Bogaerts provided the First Inning Fun with a two-run homer. Jackie Bradley had two hits, extending his hitting streak to 18 games. Mookie Betts put the game out of reach with a three-run dong in the sixth.

The Red Sox scored 11+ runs for the fourth straight game, something the team had done only once before since at least 1913. From June 2-5, 1950, Boston scored 11, 11, 17, and 12 runs.

The Red Sox collected 14+ hits for the fourth straight game. Since 1913, the team's record is five games, set on August 15-17, 1950.

Everyone in the starting lineup had at least one hit. Hanley Ramirez was 3-for-3 and reached base in all four of his plate appearances. Betts, Dustin Pedroia, Ramirez, and Someone Named Christian Vazquez each scored two runs.

The first two Houston batters of the night singled against Price, but he bounced back and struck out the next three. In the second, a single, double, and infield error gave the Astros a run, but, again, Price struck out three men. Houston had men at first and second in the third, but a double play ended the inning. Price then retired 11 of the next 12 batters, striking out three men in the fifth.

Junichi Tazawa relieved Price in the seventh and pitched the eighth, throwing only seven pitches to five batters.

Dallas Keuchel / David Price

Betts, RF
Pedroia, 2B
Bogaerts, SS
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, 1B
Young, LF
Shaw, 3B
Vazquez, C
Bradley, CF

WEEI:

Thursday's game will be Price's first start since Dustin Pedroia found something wrong with Price's mechanics during a video session. The second baseman noticed that Price's hands and legs were not in sync during his windup. Manager John Farrell and pitching coach Carl Willis also noted that Price's leg kick has reduced, providing a possible cause for the pitcher's decreased velocity.

"My hands have stayed right here, and that's not allowing me to get my full leg lift," Price explained. "It's been about a half of a leg lift of what I'm used to, and it takes away the rhythm of what I do out there on the mound. Whenever my hands stay here, I have to be able to time it up perfect for me to be able to execute that pitch. It gives me no margin of error because I don't have that rhythm."

Price has allowed six runs in each of his last two starts and has a 6.75 ERA. Among the 50 AL qualifying starters, that is dead last. (The rankings of the other Boston starters: Steven Wright #3, Rick Porcello #18, Clay Buchholz #45.)

Carl Willis, pitching coach:

It was the height of his leg kick, we identified that, we talked to him yesterday [Monday] and I think Pedey was looking at some videos of himself watching left-handed pitchers and ran across one with David. What it comes down to is the hands and the knee-lift being connected. His hands had gotten a little stuck. I think as he had shortened his knee lift, he had stopped raising his hands, so we're kind of syncing those two together. He's just buying himself more time over the rubber to get into that back leg and create some leverage.

Manager John Farrell says that Price decreased velocity is not a concern. ... Price talks about these mechanical issues going back to last season.

Red Sox - Consecutive Games with 15+ Hits

4 - September 3-5, 1938
3 - July 5-6, 1920
3 - September 1-3, 1930
3 - June 23-26, 1982
3 - June 19-21, 1988
3 - September 4-6, 2013
3 - May 9-11, 2016

September 3, 1938 at Yankees: 16 hits in 9-3 win
September 4, 1938 (G1) at Athletics: 17 hits in 12-11 loss
September 4, 1938 (G2) at Athletics: 17 hits in 12-2 win
September 5, 1938 (G1) at Senators: 19 hits in 14-4 win

This was part of an eight-game streak of 10+ hits. Also: The 9/5 line score: 023 111 321.