First impressions: David Price finishes strong

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First Impressions from the Red Sox' 11-4 win over the Atlanta Braves.

 

David Price wasn't at his best early, but overall, it was a big step in the right direction.

Price labored through the first and fourth innings, twice loading the bases. And as has been noted, the opposition wasn't exactly top-notch, since the Braves might be the worst offensive team in either league.

But he pitched through the eighth, had five 1-2-3 innings and finished with a flourish. He fanned the final five hitters he faced and of the final nine outs he record, eight were by strikeouts.

 

Travis Shaw, cleanup hitter.

With David Ortiz sitting out the two-game series in the N.L., Shaw might have an odd choice to hit fourth. But after going hitless in the opener, Shaw broke out with a three-run homer in the first, then chipped in with a two-run double in the ninth, giving him five RBI for the night.

 

The Sox are being aggressive on the bases again.

Mookie Betts stole one base and Xander Bogaerts swiped two, giving the Red Sox 19 steals in 21 attempts this season.

It took the Red Sox 20 games to record 19 bases this season; by contrast, it took the Sox 51 games to steal that many a year ago.

 

After a rough stretch at the plate, Christian Vazquez has come around at the plate.

For the second straight game, Vazquez smacked a double, providing a little bit of sock in the bottom third of the order.

With his defensive contributions, any offense from Vazquez has to be regarded as a bonus. But every little bit helps.

 

At the start of the road trip, it was Mookie Betts who was hot. Now, it's Xander Bogaerts' turn.

Bogaerts had a three-hit game to along with two steals. For the last six games, Bogaerts is 12-for-25 with four doubles. contributions,

 

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