Price Dominates In First Home Appearance, Tigers Beat Mariners, 4-2

DETROIT (AP) — David Price pitched eight innings of one-run ball, and the Detroit Tigers snapped Seattle's five-game winning streak with a 4-2 victory over Felix Hernandez and the Mariners on Saturday night.

Price (12-8) allowed three hits, struck out seven and walked three in his first game at Comerica Park since he was acquired in a trade with Tampa Bay last month. Joe Nathan worked the ninth for his 25th save, yielding Endy Chavez's RBI single.

It was Nathan's first appearance since making a profane gesture at Tigers fans on Wednesday, and he received a mixture of cheers and boos when he was introduced.

Hernandez was hit on the leg by Ian Kinsler's hard ground ball for the final out of the fourth. He pitched the next inning before departing after 92 pitches, allowing two runs and seven hits.

Hernandez (13-4) lost his record streak of 16 straight starts of at least seven innings and no more than two runs. He broke Tom Seaver's major league mark of 13 straight earlier this month.

The Tigers grabbed the lead when Eugenio Suarez beat out a possible inning-ending double play in the second, allowing J.D. Martinez to score. During the inning, Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon was ejected by plate umpire Tony Randazzo — a quick end to a battle that started in the first.

Detroit only managed a single run in the first three innings, but its five hits helped push Hernandez's pitch count up to 69. Price was at just 37 through three hitless innings, but Austin Jackson doubled on his second pitch of the fourth.

Jackson, one of the players Detroit gave up to get Price in the three-team deal at the deadline, later scored on Robinson Cano's groundout.

Nick Castellanos restored Detroit's lead with a long homer on the first pitch of the fourth, but Hernandez shut out the Tigers for the rest of his short outing. Martinez and Castellanos each had a two-out RBI single in the seventh against Brandon Maurer.

The Mariners loaded the bases with one out in the eighth on two walks and a single, but Price struck out Jackson and got Dustin Ackley to ground into an inning-ending force at second. He received a standing ovation as he walked off the field, and tipped his cap to the fans.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Seattle: Cano was back in the starting lineup one day after fouling a pitch off his foot. Cano played several more innings after the painful foul ball, only leaving when the Mariners built a comfortable lead, and was fine to play against Price.

Detroit: 1B Miguel Cabrera needed the attention of Tigers trainer Kevin Rand after he was hit by a pitch in the third. Cabrera, who had stayed in Friday's series opener after injuring this thumb on the first play of the game, also remained in Saturday's game after a short delay.

UP NEXT

The three-game series concludes with rookie Robbie Ray (1-2, 5.31 ERA) facing Seattle's Chris Young (11-6, 3.20 ERA). Ray, acquired in the Doug Fister trade last winter, is in his second stint with the Tigers, both to replace Anibal Sanchez in the rotation.

Young has never lost to Detroit in three career starts, going 1-0 with a 2.14 ERA.

 

(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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