With a 5-2 loss on Thursday, the Rays lost a fourth consecutive game and lost another game on the AL East-leading New York Yankees in the AL East standings. In the four losses, the Rays have allowed a combined 26 runs. None of those games, though, featured David Price, the winningest pitcher in the American League.
Price won back to back starts to become the first pitcher in the AL to reach 10 wins before being tied atop the leaderboards. In his most recent start he pitched seven innings against the Phillies allowing only four hits and a single run when he gave up a solo home run to Jimmy Rollins. However, to earn his 11th victory, Price will have to best the reigning AL Cy Young winner, Justin Verlander.
Verlander has won three straight starts including a complete game in his last start in which he allowed five hits and two earned runs en route to a 3-2 win for the Tigers.
The first pitch of Friday's game at Tropicana Field will be thrown at 7:10 p.m. ET and will be televised on Fox Sports Detroit and Sun Sports.
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