Marquee additions David Price, Craig Kimbrel struggle during Red Sox’s first homestand

9:51 PM ET

BOSTON — After back-to-back last-place seasons, even the widest-eyed optimists took off their rose-colored glasses and asked why things would be any better for the Boston Red Sox this year.

The answers given most often by team officials: David Price and Craig Kimbrel.

For $217 million and four minor leaguers, the Red Sox signed a proven ace and traded for one of the game’s most dominant relief pitchers. And between them, Price and Kimbrel would represent the starter and the closer who would make all the difference.

So pardon the paying customers who passed through Fenway Park’s turnstiles over the past 10 days for not being sold.

Price started three games on the season’s first homestand and served up two duds, including one of the worst starts of his career Thursday in a 12-8 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays that left his bloated ERA at 7.06. Kimbrel, meanwhile, got roughed up by the Baltimore Orioles in the home opener and lost complete control of the strike zone at the worst possible time Monday against the Toronto Blue Jays in the annual Patriots’ Day matinee.

It’s no coincidence, then, that the Sox went 4-6 against three American League East opponents and limped out of town with a 7-8 record overall and an embattled manager being second-guessed for every move he makes, the latest coming Thursday when right-hander William Cuevas was left to take the loss in his major league debut because setup man Junichi Tazawa had been used in a four-run game one night earlier and Koji Uehara “was only available if we were ahead,” according to John Farrell.

Price could have made things a lot easier on Farrell. He was brought here for situations like Thursday, a rubber game of a …

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