Major League Baseball

Price gets cheers, Tigers fall to M's 3-2 with deadline near

Published Jul. 23, 2015 7:41 p.m. ET

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DETROIT (AP) David Price strolled off the mound to a standing ovation from a big crowd in Detroit's last home game before the trade deadline.

Then the Tigers let another one slip away in their struggle to stay in contention, the issue that could determine whether the All-Star left-hander is still around when they come back.

Mike Zunino had an RBI double in the top of the 12th inning, lifting the Seattle Mariners to a 3-2 victory Thursday after the Tigers scored both their runs in the first.

''I think the frustrating part is you feel like you're taking a step or two forward and then you take a step back, almost like we're just treading water,'' manager Brad Ausmus said after the Tigers dropped back below .500 at 47-48. ''You keep waiting to take a step or two forward and then that third or fourth step and get rolling.''

Price, who allowed two runs in eight-plus innings, actually got two standing ovations. The first came at the end of the eighth, the crowd of 40,225 seeming to realize that the next home game is Aug. 4 - four days after the non-waiver deadline for trades.

''It's out of my control so there's no point in thinking about it,'' Price said. ''I hope those ovations were just because I pitched into the ninth inning and only gave up two runs.''

Zunino was expected a day off after catching the night before, but instead came on for Jesus Sucre in the 10th and immediately made a key defensive play by throwing out the speedy Anthony Gose at second on a potential wild pitch.

Chris Taylor started the 12th with a single off Ian Krol (1-3), and Zunino tried to bunt him to second. After two failed attempts, Zunino doubled down the left-field line. Yoenis Cespedes misread the bounce off the fence, allowing Taylor to score the go-ahead run.

''I was really frustrated when I didn't get the bunt down, so I was just looking for a pitch I could put into play,'' said Zunino, who is hitting just .169. ''I wanted to make something happen after these guys fought for so long.''

Tom Wilhelmsen pitched the bottom of the 12th for his first save of the season after Fernando Rodney (3-4) threw a scoreless 11th.

Seattle's Hisashi Iwakuma allowed two runs in seven innings.

The Mariners had two runners on in the 10th and 11th but couldn't score. The Tigers had a pair of runners on in the 11th, but Rodney retired James McCann.

Kyle Seager hit his 15th homer to give Seattle a 1-0 lead in the first, but Iwakuma gave up two runs before getting an out. Ian Kinsler singled and took third on a single from Cespedes, and both scored on a double by Victor Martinez.

Seattle pulled even in the seventh when Robinson Cano singled, took second on a wild pitch and scored on Mark Trumbo's single to right. Trumbo ended up on third when the ball skipped past J.D. Martinez, but Price retired Logan Morrison to end the inning.

STRUGGLING RELIEVER

Krol, who spent much of the season in Triple-A due to ineffective performances, is now 1-3 with a 6.19 ERA. Ausmus defended his decision to use him in the 12th.

''I'm running out of pitching and we've got two guys hitting under .200, we should be able to get them out, simple as that,'' said Ausmus, referring to Taylor and Zunino. ''I don't know if you think I have a bevy of arms down there all named Mariano Rivera. That's not how it works.''

TRAINER'S ROOM

Mariners: LHP Charlie Furbush (biceps tendinitis) threw a bullpen session on flat ground Wednesday in Seattle. Manager Lloyd McClendon said Furbush is close to a return, but will need a short minor league stint.

Tigers: LHP Kyle Lobstein (shoulder), who has been sidelined since May 24, threw off the mound Tuesday for the first time since his injury and reported no discomfort.

UP NEXT

Mariners: Ace RHP Felix Hernandez (11-5) pitches the opener of a three-game home series against Toronto on Friday.

Tigers: RHP Justin Verlander (0-3) faces former teammate Rick Porcello in a series opener at Boston on Friday.

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