By MAUREEN MULLEN
Associated Press
FORT MYERS, Fla. — David Price got his first taste of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry Tuesday night, striking out six over four innings for Boston during its 6-3 loss to New York.
The new Red Sox ace gave up one run and three hits with no walks. His lone blemish came on Aaron Hicks’ first homer of the spring, a two-out shot in the third.
Price signed with the Red Sox as a free agent this offseason for $217 million over seven years. One of his primary tasks: beat the Yankees.
“It’ll be intense,” Price said. “It’s definitely going to be the biggest rivalry I’ve ever been a part of. I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be 18, 19 games of good baseball.”
Ivan Nova, competing for a spot in the Yankees’ rotation, permitted one run and three hits in four innings with a walk and four strikeouts.
“Really good,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “He was facing a really good lineup and I thought he pitched really well.”
Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz, in his final season before he retires, went 0 for 3 and is batting .111 this spring.
Yankees DH Alex Rodriguez, who will turn 41 in July, went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts against Price and is hitting .250.
“I feel really good,” Rodriguez said. “I’m very humbled and flattered to be in the position that I am right now. I’m really enjoying this team a lot. I feel like this team has a good mix of guys. We don’t have any real freshmen. The freshmen are now sophomores and we have a bunch of juniors and seniors. And I think hopefully our goal as we break camp is to really unify the bunch because together we can do some special things.”
New York sent 10 batters to the plate in the eighth inning, scoring five runs off left-hander Robbie Ross Jr.
Dustin Ackley had two hits for the Yankees.
STARTING TIME - In two Grapefruit League outings, Price has pitched a total of seven innings, allowing three runs and seven hits with one walk, nine strikeouts and three homers.
“Regardless of who’s in the box, when he makes his pitches he’s very good, he’s very tough,” manager John Farrell said. “He has a long career of that. He looked almost with his command, I think, almost midseason form here tonight. It’s good to see him go out and finish some hitters off in pretty efficient fashion.”
TRAINER’S ROOM - Catcher Blake Swihart, hit in the face mask with a foul ball Sunday, is fine and is scheduled to start Wednesday. ... LHP Eduardo Rodriguez injured his right knee Feb. 27 and hasn’t thrown off a mound since. Farrell said Rodriguez was scheduled to throw from 60-90 feet on Tuesday, and long toss and then throw from a mound on Wednesday. The Red Sox would like Rodriguez to throw from a mound at least two more times, if not more, before getting into a game. ... Starter Brian Johnson, a candidate for the rotation, left Monday’s game with a left big toe sprain. He will rest for the next four to five days and miss his next scheduled appearance in a game.
UP NEXT - Clay Buchholz starts against Minnesota on Wednesday night. Kyle Gibson goes for the Twins.