Chris Sale has never won a postseason game as a starting pitcher. Neither has Rick Porcello, Eduardo Rodriguez, Drew Pomeranz, or Steven Wright.

No Red Sox starter has since John Lackey won Game 6 of the 2013 World Series.

But it’s only David Price who seems to have that stamped on the back of his jersey in capital letters. He will pitch every game this season knowing whatever he accomplishes won’t be validated unless he pitches well in the postseason.

It’s a product of his record-setting contract and the expectations that come with it. It’s also a consequence of Price having pitched in the postseason in eight of his first 10 seasons in the majors. There’s plenty of history to examine, much of it tortured.

But what is often too easily forgotten is that to succeed in the postseason, a player has to get there first. On Saturday, Price again pitched the way a contending team needs as the Red Sox beat the Chicago White Sox, 4-2, before a sellout crowd of 36,675 at Fenway Park.

Price (7-4) allowed two runs over six innings before handing a two-run lead to a well-rested bullpen. He gave up five hits, walked three, and struck out six.

The 44-21 Red Sox are undefeated in Price’s last six starts with the lefthander posting a 2.89 earned run average and 1.10 WHIP.

The key on Saturday was perseverance. Price gave up two runs in the first inning then allowed only one runner to advance beyond first base after that.

“That’s how you win games, when pitchers like that can hold them,’’ said J.D. Martinez, whose two-run homer in the fifth inning helped the Red Sox end a two-game losing streak.

Manager Alex Cora feels it’s a matter of Price having confidence in the soundness of his arm after one start early in the season was pushed back two days with what proved to be a minor wrist issue.

“There’s a lot of conviction behind every pitch and there’s a purpose behind every pitch,’’ Cora said. “His misses are by one inch or two. He’s always around the plate. He does a good job pitching to the edge of the strike zone.’’

Three hitters into the game, there was more frustration than conviction. Tim Anderson singled and Jose Rondon walked before Jose Abreu sent a double high off the wall in center to drive in a run.

Rondon then scored on a ground out. But Price ended the inning with Abreu on third, changing the game plan by going to his changeup more than his cutter.

“After three hitters, I’m one base hit away from it being 3-0 without our guys having had a chance to hit yet,’’ Price said. “To be able to hold them there, that was big.’’

White Sox lefthander Carlos Rodon, pitching in the majors for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery last fall, didn’t get much help from his defense.

After Andrew Benintendi walked to start the bottom of the first inning, Anderson booted a possible double-play ball at shortstop.

When Martinez grounded to shortstop, the White Sox got an out at second but Yoan Moncada threw the ball away going to first and Benintendi scored.

Moncada, the former Red Sox prospect who was traded to Chicago in the deal for Sale, is 0 for 8 in the series with five strikeouts.

The Red Sox tied the game in the second inning when Jackie Bradley Jr. homered to center, the ball landing on the black tarp that covers the seats for day games.

It was Bradley’s first home run against a lefthander since June 1, 2017, when he connected against Baltimore’s Donnie Hart at Camden Yards.

After Xander Bogaerts reached on an error to start the fifth inning, Rodon left an 0-and-1 changeup to Martinez up and over the plate and it landed in the Red Sox bullpen.

Martinez has 21 home runs and 54 RBIs. He leads the majors in both categories. Twelve of the home runs have come in his last 24 games.

Remarkably, Martinez has homered against 12 of the 13 teams the Red Sox have faced this season. The exception is Miami, where he played in one of two games. The Marlins play two games at Fenway in August, by the way.

Martinez is the first Red Sox player with 21 home runs through 65 team games since Manny Ramirez had 21 in 2001.

Cora has noticed Martinez becoming a louder voice in the clubhouse and “taking charge’’ of the atmosphere. That’s what the Red Sox hoped would happen when they made the decision to release Hanley Ramirez.

“He’s becoming a leader, which is something that comes with the territory,’’ Cora said.

With two outs in the sixth inning, Matt Davidson drew a walk off Price and went to third on a bloop single by Kevan Smith. But Price came back to strike out Moncada on a high fastball.

Joe Kelly, pitching for the first time since June 2, retired the side in order in the seventh. Matt Barnes left two runners stranded in the eighth to extend his streak of scoreless innings to 13.

Craig Kimbrel, who also had not pitched since June 2, worked the ninth inning for his 20th save.

The teams split the first two games of the series. Rick Porcello faces Reynaldo Lopez on Sunday afternoon in the final game of the homestand.

Peter Abraham can be reached at pabraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe.