ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - David Price spent all season cruising through the minors, waiting for a chance to make a difference in the majors.
He got that opportunity Saturday night in the AL championship series, and it was a huge relief for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Price pitched out of a two-on, one-out jam in the 11th inning, helping Tampa Bay beat the Boston Red Sox 9-8 early Sunday and tying the ALCS at one game each.
Playing his first pro season, the overall No. 1 pick from the 2007 draft started the year in Class A and went 12-1 at three different minor league levels.
The 23-year-old lefty made his big league debut on Sept. 14 at Yankee Stadium. One month later, in just his second playoff appearance, he came up big against the defending World Series champions.
Price, who could be in the Rays' rotation next year, replaced Dan Wheeler with a runner on first and one out. After walking J.D. Drew, he settled down to strike out Mark Kotsay and then get an inning-ending grounder from Coco Crisp.
Price pumped his arm walking toward the dugout after the inning was over.
The emotion carried over to the bottom of the 11th when the Rays got a winning sacrifice fly by B.J. Upton, giving Price his first win as a major leaguer.
Not a bad postseason beginning for a pitcher who worked just one-third of an inning in the first round against the Chicago White Sox.
