MLB Playoffs Rangers-Rays: David Price Brings Heat To Texas In First Inning

The American League Division Series is underway, with the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays dueling it out in Game One at Tropicana Field in Florida.

David Price, the left-handed ace of the Rays, retired the Rangers with no runs scored in the top of the first, but took 22 pitches to do so. Price is one of baseball's most fastball-oriented starting hurlers, throwing his heat on almost 75 percent of all pitches during the regular season, according to FanGraphs. Price tossed 21 fastballs in his 22 first-inning pitches, according to MLB.com Gameday, with 16 going for strikes.

The Rangers managed two hits with two outs off Price, after the southpaw retired Elvis Andrus and Michael Young to begin the frame. Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero notched the knocks, which makes sense: They are the best and third-best fastball-hitting batters on the Rangers, who hit fastballs better than all but six major-league teams this season.

Price has a very live fastball (with his velocity hovering between 93 and 97 miles per hour in the opening inning) and good movement on it: His pitch f/x numbers for the inning averaged roughly 15.5 inches of vertical movement, with lateral break to boot. Still, he may want to adjust his approach somewhat as the game goes on, or the heater-happy Rangers may start to tee off.

It's possible, of course, that he is intentionally holding back his big, slow curveball for use later on in crucial situations, of which there are sure to be plenty with Texas ace Cliff Lee on the mound. Prices' fastball predilection cost him two hits but no runs in the first inning. It will be interesting to see what unfolds in later innings.