In an elevator leaving the upper levels of Fenway Park on Tuesday night, a grandmotherly woman put her hand on the shoulder of the young boy standing next to her. She looked down at him with a good-natured smile, offering some comfort.
“We were supposed to win that one,’’ she said.
On most nights, given the way David Price pitched, the Sox would have won. Instead, they fell, 3-2, and fell out of their first-place tie in the process.
Price (7-4) held the Orioles to three runs in eight innings and struck out 11, but still took the loss as his earned run average fell to 4.52.
Two home runs — a two-run blast in the first inning to Manny Machado on a fastball away and a solo shot in the eighth inning to Jonathan Schoop on a misplaced changeup — were enough for the Orioles.
Home runs have been one of Price’s two main problems lately. The other one has been timing, but not the kind he could control. Price became the first Red Sox starter to lose consecutive starts in which he pitched at least eight innings and allowed three or fewer runs since Tim Wakefield in April 2006.
“I’ve had a lot of, not lucky wins, but wins where I gave up a lot of runs and that’s part of it,’’ Price said. “This isn’t the first time this has happened in my career and it’s not going to be the last.
“You know, my confidence isn’t shaken by the last couple starts and our offense, I’m still confident in what they’re able to do as well.’’
The first of those losses came last week against San Francisco, when Price was matched up against Giants ace Madison Bumgarner. Price threw a complete game but the Sox lost, 2-1.
Tuesday, Price was again matched against the best his opponent had to offer. Orioles starter Chris Tillman (9-1) lowered his ERA to 2.87 with seven innings of one-run ball.
Price said he doesn’t think about his opposite number or the result, only his pitching.
“I don’t think about [the other starter],’’ Price said. “I expect to go out there and get 27 outs and put up nine zeroes. I haven’t done that yet, but I’m definitely throwing the baseball better and I know good things are coming my way.’’
Price’s start Tuesday was his seventh straight in which he worked into at least the seventh inning while allowing three or fewer runs, the third-longest streak of his career. Price holds the longest active streak of quality starts in the American League.
Price has a 2.68 ERA in those starts, dating to May 12. He has given up eight home runs in that period, with Tuesday becoming the sixth straight game in which he’s allowed at least one homer, tied for the longest streak of his career.
Manager John Farrell said the home runs are to be expected from a pitcher who has been pounding the strike zone like Price has.
Price threw 75 of his 105 pitches Tuesday night for strikes.
“He’s been very balanced,’’ Farrell said. “The delivery is on time. We haven’t scored many runs for him and, as a result, you get maybe a mislocated pitch inside a given game and it ends up being the difference.’’
Price got 22 swings and misses, his most since last July 18 when he got 24 (also against the Orioles) while still playing for the Tigers. He used his changeup to get 16 of them, a career-high. Price got strike three using his changeup six times and said it was “the best stuff I’ve showcased so far.’’
Price still sees room for improvement.
“I’m better than three runs. I know that,’’ he said.
Still, he said he wasn’t feeling any frustration because he feels good throwing the ball.
“It’s just tough what we do,’’ Price said. “It’s extremely tough and I definitely wish I would have made a couple more pitches tonight and executed a lot of pitches out there, but the ones that you don’t [execute] have chances to have damage done against them.’’
Nora Princiotti can be reached at nora.princiotti@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter at @NoraPrinciotti.
