David Price Named Red Sox' Opening Day Starter; Buchholz No. 2
BOSTON (CBS) -- The front end of the Red Sox' rotation is set, and it should come as no surprise that David Price will get the ball on Opening Day.
Boston mananger John Farrell announced Tuesday morning that Price will take the mound April 4 when the Red Sox open the 2016 season against the Indians in Cleveland. Farrell also announced that Clay Buchholz will get the nod two days later in Boston's second game of the season, but the rest of the rotation is still up in the air.
This will be the fifth career Opening Day start for Price, who signed a seven-year, $217 million deal with the Red Sox last offseason. He made three Opening Day starts while with the Tampa Bay Rays before toeing the rubber in the Detroit Tigers' season opener last season, twirling 8.2 shutout innings against the Minnesota Twins. Overall, Price is 2-1 with a 3.27 ERA (8 earned runs over 22 innings) in his Opening Day starts.
While Farrell wouldn't say who would start after Price and Buchholz, Rick Porcello, Joe Kelly and Steven Wright figure to make up the Boston rotation to start the season. After their season-opening series against the Indians, the Red Sox head to Toronto for a three-game set against the Blue Jays before coming home to Fenway Park for three against the Baltimore Orioles.