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Price Settles In During Debut

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By MARC LANCASTER The Tampa Tribune

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 15, 2008

NEW YORK - It took just seven pitches for LHP David Price to set the Yankees down in order in his first inning as a major-leaguer, but to hear him tell it his knees were shaking the entire time.

"I think my first 20 pitches in the 'pen, I didn't throw a strike, so I thought it was going to be a rough day," he said.

Price had plenty of time to acclimate himself once he got settled in, working 51/3 impressive innings of relief. Coming on to start the third inning with a 6-3 deficit, Price scattered three hits and allowed two runs, didn't walk a batter and struck out four.

The only real blemish came when Derek Jeter led off the fifth with a homer, but then again, no one has been able to get Jeter out lately.

"He used to be my favorite player. I don't know about anymore," Price said with a smile. "That was fun. That's the first of many battles I hope me and him have. It was a good time."

It was better for Price in the seventh, when he got Jeter to make his third out in 13 trips to the plate in the series by grounding into a double play after Johnny Damon singled.

That kind of stuff - and the composure Price projects even if he has butterflies on the inside - was about what the Rays expected.

"It just reaffirmed what we thought," was how Manager Joe Maddon summed up the 23-year-old's debut. "We'll see how it all fits."

That's the question now. Price is likely to start one game of the Sept. 23 doubleheader at Baltimore, but how he'll be utilized before and after that remains to be seen.

Whenever the call comes again, at least Price knows he won't be as edgy as he was Sunday, when it took him until he was warming up before his second inning to calm down.

"I felt like I was about to fall off the mound in that first inning," Price said. "But after that I felt fine. I felt like I was pitching back at Vanderbilt, back at my high school. It felt good to be out there, I wasn't nervous anymore. I felt like I belonged out there."

HAPPY HOMECOMING: Aside from a couple more wins, OF Fernando Perez couldn't have asked for anything else during the weekend.

The New Jersey native and Columbia University graduate started all three games at Yankee Stadium and smashed his first career homer Sunday before his parents, grandmother and numerous friends.

"Totally surreal," Perez said. "Lots of things had to fall into place. B.J. Upton is battling to get back in the lineup and I'm just trying to do whatever they ask. If they ask to go get some coffee, I'm going to get some coffee."

NO WORRIES: RHP Matt Garza said Sunday he has no problem with starting the series finale against the Red Sox on three days' rest.

"Right now it's team first and try to get to the postseason," Garza said. "Our best chance is for me to throw on Wednesday."

Garza has pitched on three days' rest once before in the majors, throwing six scoreless innings July 6, 2007, for the Twins against the White Sox.

NOTEWORTHY: Closer Troy Percival was available Sunday but not needed. ... Upton (strained left quadriceps) ran on a treadmill but is not expected to start today. ... Lightning coach Barry Melrose will throw out a ceremonial first pitch tonight.

Marc Lancaster

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