BOSTON -- The questions about the Red Sox' bullpen are not new ones, and they're sure to only get asked more frequently in the wake of Boston's 6-3 loss to Houston on Friday night. But the lack of trust in the bullpen ensures one thing: any success the Red Sox have in October will be dependent on the performance of the starting rotation.

Assuming Chris Sale gets back to full health before the postseason, Boston will enter October with, by far, a better rotation group than it has in the last two postseasons. With Sale as a dominant Cy Young candidate, David Price pitching as well as he ever has in a Red Sox uniform, Eduardo Rodriguez picking up right where he left off in the midst of a career year and Rick Porcello having been a solid force outside a couple of ugly outings against Toronto, the group is primed for a stellar October.

And the pressure is on.

Price's latest gem came Friday, when he went 6.1 innings against the Astros while allowing two earned runs on just two hits and striking out 10. He threw 101 pitches before being pulled for Ryan Brasier, who gave up a two-run double to Tony Kemp to give Houston a 3-2 lead. Joe Kelly surrendered three runs in the eighth, giving the Astros a 6-3 lead they would not relinquish.

"These are the reigning World Series champions who are winning their division right now," Price said. "They're a very good team. In September, whenever you're playing a team like that, it's always a good measuring stick."

That measuring stick was one Price lived up to, even if the bullpen couldn't. On Friday, it was Brasier and Kelly-- but the inconsistency from pitchers like Tyler Thornburg, Matt Barnes and others all season has been just about the only consistent part of the bullpen performance. The starters, on the other hand, have been a strong point, to the tune of a fourth-best 3.62 ERA entering play Friday.

Boston's offense, even against the league's best pitching, has the ability to put up runs every night. They can score early, they can score late and they can match up in the late innings with a variety of bench options, keeping the Red Sox in most games.

From there, it'll be up to the pitching staff to hold up their end of the bargain, though nothing the bullpen has shown on a consistent basis suggests that group will be able to. It'll come down to four men-- Sale, Price, Rodriguez and Porcello.

Price correctly pointed out Friday night that he hasn't been good in October, but he'll need to be this time around. So will the other three, going deep into ballgames and putting up zeroes like we've seen at points this season.

If they don't, it could be a short October for a historically good regular season team.