Recap - Houston, we have a problem

Jim Monaghan
Content Coordinator

Let's see here....

Chris Sale was clearly not 100%, Alex Cora got himself ejected, Mookie Betts swung at a first pitch after Justin Verlander had walked three in a row.

Photo courtesy of USA Today
Oh...and David Price is on the mound tonight for the Red Sox following Saturday night's 7-2 loss at Fenway Park.

Worried yet?

Sale (pictured) labored through four innings and while he only gave up one hit, he walked four and hit a batter. He struggled with both his velocity and control and the Red Sox were probably lucky that it was only 2-0 when he left the game.

Part of that was due to the fact that Verlander had similar control issues. He walked four and tossed a wild pitch that allowed a run to score.

The Astros added four runs in the ninth inning on a pair of home runs off reliever Brandon Workman.

Cora was ejected for arguing balls and strikes after Andrew Benintendi was punched out on a pitch that appeared to be well out of the strike zone in the fifth inning when Boston had Verlander on the ropes but couldn't put him away.

Clearly, Price will need to step up his post-season game Sunday night if the Red Sox have any chance of moving past the Astros to the World Series. With games three through five on the road, the last thing Boston needs is to go to Houston down 2-0.

Click here to find more by Jim Monaghan on Red Sox Life. Follow him on twitter - @Monaghan21.