Price outpitches Verlander; Tigers lose

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Tampa Bay's Desmond Jennings homered twice and David Price outpitched Justin Verlander to become the AL's first 11-game winner with a 4-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.

The Rays beat the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner for the second time this season, ending a four-game skid in which they played sloppy defense and struggled to score.

Price (11-4) allowed two runs and five hits before leaving the game because of what the Rays described as lower back tightness after seven innings. The hard-throwing lefty threw 78 pitches, struck out seven and walked one.

Price has won three straight decisions and five of six overall with the loss coming when the Rays were one-hit by R.A. Dickey of the New York Mets on June 13.

Jennings hadn't homered in over two months, yet went deep against Verlander (8-5) leading off the third and fifth innings. Ben Zobrist hit a solo homer off the Tigers starter, who struck out eight and walked one while throwing 120 pitches and allowing four runs and six hits over six innings.

Delmon Young hit a solo homer in the fifth and had two of Detroit's hits off Price. Prince Fielder drove in the Tigers' other run when he grounded out in the seventh.

The Rays were outscored 26-8 during a losing streak that matched their longest of the season. Even more troubling has been that they have hurt themselves lately with uncharacteristic mistakes, especially on defense.

Jennings led a stellar defensive effort Friday night, making a nice running catch while falling into the stands in left field in the third inning. The Rays turned three double plays in support of Price, who was removed after going out to the mound to warm up for the eighth.

Jake McGee worked the eighth for the Rays. Fernando Rodney finished up, earning his 22nd save in 23 opportunities.

Despite walking Ramon Santiago in the first and yielding singles to Young in the second and Austin Jackson in the fourth, Price faced the minimum 12 batters over the first four innings -- thanks to two inning-ending double plays and Jackson being thrown out attempting to steal second base.

Verlander, meanwhile, allowed three homers in a game for the first time this season. The New York Yankees went deep on the Tigers ace twice in beating him on April 27 and June 3, meaning that seven of the 10 homers Verlander has allowed this season have come in the four starts he has made against those teams.