NEW YORK -- David Price will start at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday with the chance to clinch the AL East title for the Boston Red Sox.

How appropriate if he's the starting pitcher who wins the clinching game. It would be even more appropriate for him to do it against the Yankees after his 2018 turnaround followed his abysmal July 1 start here. The Yankees crushed him for eight runs on nine hits, including five homers.

Since then, Price has posted a 2.22 ERA in 11 starts. He has dominated during the second half. He's 5-0 with a 1.56 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and .188 batting average against in nine starts (57.2 innings).

But his turnaround began in spring training with a simple acknowledgment during his media availability.

"I feel like I've always been one to lead with my actions," Price said at JetBlue Park on Feb. 13. "I didn't do that very well last year. I know that. I understand that. I look forward to getting back and being that faucet, not being a drain."

Price experienced a season-long strained relationship with the Boston media in 2017. It included a couple of notable outbursts. But he acknowledged during spring he could have handled things differently last year.

Through it all, his teammates always have had his back. And now he has a chance to put an exclamation point on his 2018 turnaround with a win Wednesday and then a strong postseason.

"It's not really his fault that he wasn't getting along with you guys," Brock Holt told MassLive.com on Tuesday. "It is what it is. He was probably not pitching up to his capabilities and things were written about him that he didn't really agree with. And now he is. In Boston if you play well, people are going to like you. He's been great since day one with us. And that's what's most important."

Price's story sort of feels like John Lackey 2.0. Lackey received enormous criticism when he posted a 4.40 ERA in 2010 and 6.41 ERA in 2011 for the Red Sox after he signed a five-year, $82.5-million contract. He quickly grew tired of Boston and the local media.

Lackey returned from Tommy John surgery in 2013 to post a 3.52 ERA in 29 starts.

He pitched brilliantly during the 2013 postseason. He earned the win in the World Series clincher, Game 6. The fans went wild while he walked off the mound with two outs in the seventh.

Standing O.

Similar with Price, Lackey's teammates always had his back. They always loved him as a teammate through the good and ugly times.

"We're a better team with David Price," Holt said. "I feel like he's been a little bit misunderstood since he's been over here. You guys write stuff and that's what the fans see. The things that were written weren't positive. So I feel like that's what the fans saw and believed. So that's tough, man. It's tough whenever you can't kind of defend yourself. People believe what they read. But he's been great since he came over here. He's a great teammate, a really good friend of mine. And I'm happy he's pitching well. People are starting to come back on the good side as opposed to the bad side.

"So I'm glad he's doing well and people are starting to realize, 'Hey, this guy is not a bad dude' because he really isn't. He's awesome," Holt added.

Price looked miserable throughout the 2017 season. This year is different. He often sits in front of his locker working on crossword puzzles. Media members chat with him. He's willing to talk. He recently told MassLive.com he plans to remain in Boston and not exercise his opt-out clause this coming offseason. He wants to win with the Red Sox, he said.

"At the end of the day, I consider David a teammate and I consider him more than that. I consider him a friend," Rick Porcello said. "And I just want him to be happy. He's too special of a pitcher, too special of a person not to be able to enjoy this opportunity and what we have going on. He looks like he's happy and that's what's important to me.

"Obviously it's pretty fun watching him take the ball every fifth day and doing what he's doing," Porcello added. "I know what kind of guy he is. And I figured it was only a matter of time before people would see that and realize that. More importantly, he's enjoying himself now and he looks incredible on the mound."

Only a couple of pieces in Price's 2018 story still are missing. He can add one of those pieces tonight.