(Sports Network) - David Price attempts to become the American League's first 15-game winner this evening when the Tampa Bay Rays and Minnesota Twins resume their four-game series at Tropicana Field.
David Price Aiming To Be AL’s First 15-Game Winner
Price won his second straight start on Thursday against Detroit, as he held the Tigers to a pair of runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings to improve to 14-5 on the year to go along with a 2.90 earned run average. He also struck out nine in the triumph.
His 14 wins have matched the team record for victories in a season, shared by James Shields (2008), Edwin Jackson (2008) and Rolando Arrojo (1998).
"He's having a tremendous year," Rays third baseman Evan Longoria said. "He's pitched about as good as anybody has this year in the major leagues. He's been consistent for the most part all year. He's been a guy we can lean on when we need a stop or when we need a win. That's huge."
Price, who is 1-1 with a 1.88 ERA in three games (two starts) against the Twins, has also won his last four starts at home, where he is 7-1 with a 2.12 ERA in nine appearances.
With New York's loss to Toronto on Tuesday, the Rays snatched sole possession of first place in the division, as B.J. Upton and Sean Rodriguez both hit a three-run homer and Jeff Niemann pitched seven solid innings, lifting Tampa Bay to a 6-4 win.
Niemann (10-3) allowed three runs on eight hits with four strikeouts for the Rays, who have won three straight and 10 of their last 11 games overall.
Joe Mauer drove in three runs for the Twins, who entered this series with an eight-game win streak but have now lost two straight and sit 1 1/2-games back of the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central.
“We basically had two bad innings tonight,” said Twins manager Rod Gardenhire. “That was the story of the game -- two separate three-run innings that ended up beating us.”
Getting the call for the Twins tonight will be righty Scott Baker, who is 9-9 with a 5.00 ERA. Baker won for the second time in as many starts on Friday against Seattle, which managed three runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 frames.
Baker beat Price and the Rays back on July 2 and is 2-2 lifetime against them with a 4/21 ERA in five games, four of which have been starts.
Tampa is 5-1 against the Twins this season.
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