David Price took a self-described “baby step” Sunday in his last postseason outing. On Thursday, he can take a quantum leap. Manager Alex Cora has tabbed Price as the Boston Red Sox’s starter for Game 5 of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. He’ll take the place of Sox ace Chris Sale, who was bumped back to Game 6 as he recovers from a stomach illness. But Price can ensure a Game 6 never happens. The Red Sox lead the series 3-1, which means the much-maligned left-hander — he of an 0-9 record in 11 career playoff starts — has the chance to knock the defending World Series champions out of contention. “To have that opportunity to punch our ticket to the World Series is very cool,” Price told WEEI’s Rob Bradford late Wednesday night after Boston’s thrilling, 8-6 win in Houston. Price nearly didn’t get that opportunity, though. He spent both the eighth and the ninth innings Wednesday warming up in the bullpen as Craig Kimbrel labored through a six-out save and likely would have entered the game had Andrew Benintendi not saved the day with a spectacular diving catch. But will the impromptu bullpen session affect Price, who is starting on three days’ rest, ahead of the biggest start of his career to date? Quite the opposite, the veteran insists. “I think it will just make me a little more sharp for (Thursday),” Price said. “It might be a new thing for me to do the day before I pitch.”<doc-sep>Manager Alex Cora announced after the long, long game (4 hours 33 minutes) that Price would start opposite Houston’s Justin Verlander in Game 5. It could be the deciding game after the Red Sox’ 8-6 win at Minute Maid Park gave them a three-games-to-one lead in the series. That would determine whether Price started Game 5 or whether he’d be lost as a starter because he had to complete Kimbrel’s outing. Luckily for the Red Sox, Kimbrel managed to retire Bregman, though it took a sensational diving catch by Andrew Benintendi with the bases loaded. HOUSTON — David Price was warming up in the bullpen, ready to come in if Craig Kimbrel couldn’t get Alex Bregman for the final out of a rare six-out save in Game 4 of the ALCS Wednesday night. Advertisement As Bregman’s sinking liner was caught by Benintendi, Price couldn’t see the whole play from his vantage point, but he soon learned that a more important role lay ahead for him. “I don’t think I saw the ball hit the leather,” said Price. “I just kind of reacted to CB [Craig Bjornson], our bullpen coach. He let us know he caught it, and it was out, and that was a very big play. “The other guys in the bullpen saw he caught it and relayed that message, and we all understood we’re one win away from going to that World Series, and that was huge.” Before reporters knew that he had been named the Game 5 starter, Price played along with them. He was asked, “Can you start?” He said, “Absolutely.” He was asked, “Will you start?” He answered, “I can.” Normally, if a pitcher is considered “hot” — meaning he has warmed up enough to be able to come into a game — it would mean he couldn’t start the next day. But not in this situation. Advertisement Not only is this a potential clinching game, but Chris Sale is still recovering from his stomach ailment and can’t start. He was pushed back to a Game 6 Saturday, if there is one. Asked how many pitches he threw in the bullpen, Price said, “I don’t count those. I don’t know. The first ones are just to get loose, and if we would have scored two in the top of the ninth, I would have went out there for the ninth inning, and they got pretty close. I think it was [Josh] Reddick that made a good play in right [robbing Mookie Betts], so I was ready.” Cora said that Price, who also was up in the eighth, could have come into the game in that inning when Kimbrel struggled and gave up a run. “He was going to come in if it was worse than what it was,” Cora said. “If they would have scored two, he was also going to come in, and if they would have scored in the ninth because of the long inning, he would have come in. “But it didn’t happen. And now tomorrow he’ll start. “I had confidence in him coming in tonight in a tight game. We’re good with him. He’s prepared. He understands what’s going on. He understands that Chris can’t go tomorrow, and he’s ready to take the ball.” Suffice to say, this will be one of the most important starts of Price’s career. He could wrap up the American League pennant and put to bed those awful numbers that say he has never won in 11 postseason starts. He will have to defeat his former Tiger teammate Verlander, and he’ll have to do it on short rest. Advertisement Price seemed genuinely excited about the challenge. “Yeah, absolutely, to have that opportunity to punch our ticket to the World Series is very cool,” he said. Asked what he was rooting for — coming in as a reliever to finish Game 4 or to start Game 5 — Price said the right thing: “Close it out today and start tomorrow and do something special.” But it will be on three days’ rest. “I’ll be all right,” he said. “It’s cool to be a part of. We’re one win away from the World Series. That’s cool. That’s very cool.” Having to warm up the day before he starts will “just make me a little more sharp for tomorrow,” he said. “It might be a new thing for me to do the day before I pitch.” Second baseman Brock Holt said he has faith that Price will give the Sox a chance to stay in the game and give the offense a chance to do their thing. “We all have great trust and faith in David,” Holt said. “He’s a professional pitcher. One of the best in the game. “It’s unfortunate Chris can’t go, but we know we’re in good hands with David. I know how much he wants to do this and how much we want to do it for him. Advertisement “What people don’t understand sometimes is what a great teammate he is and how much the guys in this room love him. He’s so supportive of everyone in here. We’d like for him to experience the chance to clinch this thing right here.” Price will have to be at his best for as long as he can go. The Astros are facing elimination in front of their hometown crowd, so they will bring all they have. The Sox bullpen won’t be in the best shape either with Ryan Brasier and Kimbrel likely out of commission. But the 3-1 series lead gives Cora a chance to take some chances with his bullpen. Maybe use Heath Hembree and Brandon Workman after Price. Maybe even use Eduardo Rodriguez. But Price can’t think about who’s pitching behind him. He knows he has a great opportunity to win over the Red Sox fan base. Pitching well in a clinching game will help do that. With only three days’ rest, Price gets to show his grit and his determination to gut it out and display some intestinal fortitude. It’s not a must-win, but it’s a win Price must have. Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardo@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickcafardo.<doc-sep>HOUSTON -- Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale was still feeling weak Wednesday and won't start Game 5 of the AL Championship Series. Sale threw in the outfield for 10-15 minutes before Game 4 in Houston, but manager Alex Cora said he didn't throw a bullpen session as planned. David Price will start Thursday instead. Cora said the lanky lefty ace was still feeling weak and had lost some weight because of a stomach illness that forced him to spend a night in a hospital after he started the ALCS opener against the Astros. "He's feeling better compared to yesterday, but physically he's not there yet," Cora said before Game 4. "So I think if necessary he'll pitch Game 6. He feels that he'll be ready for that one. And we'll go from there." The Red Sox got an 8-6 win in Game 4 on Wednesday night to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 6, if necessary, would be Saturday night in Boston. Dave Dombrowski, the team's president of baseball operations, said Sale told him that "he's fine and he'll be ready to go on Saturday." Corda said there's "no chance" Sale will pitch in any situation in Game 5. Sale did not speak to reporters Wednesday. Cora said earlier this week that Sale started feeling ill right after Game 1 and went to a hospital early Sunday morning. Sale was released Monday from Massachusetts General Hospital after remaining there overnight for observation. He rejoined the team Tuesday in Houston before Game 3. The club hasn't specified Sale's ailment or treatment, though Cora has said it was nothing serious. Sale struggled with his control in Boston's 7-2 home loss to the Astros on Saturday night. He allowed two runs, four walks and hit a batter in four innings. The lefty made just one start between July 27 and Sept. 11 because of mild left shoulder inflammation, then made four starts during the rest of the regular season. He beat the Yankees in the Division Series opener and pitched one inning of relief in Game 4 as the Red Sox won the best-of-five series.<doc-sep>
HOUSTON -- Thursday night at Minute Maid Park, the Boston Red Sox will look to punch their ticket to the 2018 World Series with an ALCS Game 5 win over the Houston Astros. The Red Sox won a thrilling Game 4 on Wednesday night to take a 3-1 series lead. It was one of the best games in recent postseason memory. Here's how you catch watch Game 5. ALCS games will air on TBS, which can be streamed on fuboTV (Try for free). For a look at the complete schedule, click here. The Red Sox will not have ace left-hander Chris Sale on the mound in Game 5 as originally scheduled. Sale spent a night in the hospital with a stomach ailment last weekend and he is not yet strong enough to take the mound in a game. He hasn't even thrown a bullpen session since his Game 1 start. Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced Wednesday that Sale will instead start a potential Game 6 rather than Game 5. "He still feels weak. He lost some weight. I know that's hard to believe but, yeah, he did," Cora said on Wednesday. "He didn't throw a bullpen today. He's feeling better compared to yesterday, but physically he's not there yet. So I think if necessary he'll pitch Game 6. He feels that he'll be ready for that one. And we'll go from there." Red Sox manager Alex Cora will have to be creative with his pitching staff in Game 5. USATSI With Sale unavailable, the Red Sox will instead start David Price on three days of rest in Game 5. For all intents and purposes, it will be the first start of Price's career on short rest. He did make one start on three days' rest way back in 2008, but that came after a 14-pitch relief appearance. Price has never started on short rest following another start. Furthermore, Price warmed up in the bullpen in Game 4. He warmed up with intent too. Cora indicated Price would've been in the game had the Astros gotten to within one run at some point in the eighth or ninth innings. Price didn't just toss the ball around to get loose. He warmed up with urgency and any pitcher will tell you that takes a toll physically. Not a big one, but a toll nonetheless. So, not only will Price start on short rest in Game 5 on Thursday, he'll also start after having fully warmed up in Game 4 on Wednesday night. And, on top of that, Boston's bullpen has been taxed pretty good in Games 3 and 4 the last two days. Checkout the bullpen's ALCS workloads. Barnes and Brasier, Cora's ace setup duo this postseason, will go into Game 5 having each pitched four times in the last five days. Brasier threw more than one inning in Game 5 as well. Kelly and Rodriguez have both pitched the last two days -- Rodriguez is a starter by trade who has never pitched back-to-back-to-back days in his career -- and Kimbrel had a long outing in Game 4. There's some fatigue in that bullpen right now, for sure. So who wins every playoff game? And which teams are a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to get MLB Playoff picks from the proven model that simulates every game 10,000 times, and find out. That said, this is the postseason, and the Red Sox can clinch the American League pennant with a win in Game 5. Is everyone available Thursday? Yes. I have zero doubt about it. Pushing Brasier or Kimbrel for multiple innings again may not happen, but I'm certain they'll get the ball should the need arise. Also, keep in mind Friday is an off-day, so even if the Red Sox drop Game 5, they'll get a rest prior to Game 6 on Saturday. It's unclear how much Price can give the Red Sox in Game 5 since he'll be on short rest and did warm up in Game 4. I think they'd sign up for five innings right now and consider that a huge win. (Price only went 4 2/3 innings in Game 2 while on extra rest.) Piecing together the rest of the game after that might take some creativity. Hembree or especially Workman could be asked to get some big outs in the middle innings before the possibly fatigued late-inning guys come into play.