David Price kicked off Detroit's season in splendid style by helping blank Minnesota and the Tigers nearly kept the Twins off the scoreboard during the entire series.
After struggling mightily in his latest outing, Price will try for another superb performance against Minnesota on Monday night (7:30 pregame, 8:10 first pitch on FOX Sports Detroit PLUS) while getting Detroit started on another successful road trip.
Price (1-1, 3.28 ERA) came within one out of recording his third career shutout and first in three years in a 4-0 win over Minnesota on April 6. That effort put the Tigers (13-6) on their way to setting a modern-day AL record with 24 consecutive scoreless innings to open the season, and they outscored the Twins 22-1 in a three-game sweep.
Detroit had a 1.82 ERA in a 9-1 start but has a 5.78 mark its last nine games. Its rotation has seen its ERA rise from 1.55 to 3.38 in that same span.
The Tigers, though, did claim a 4-1 win over Cleveland on Saturday but needed their bats to take the three-game series with the Indians. Miguel Cabrera hit a pivotal two-run homer in the sixth in an 8-6 victory Sunday and was 3 for 4 with three RBIs after going 3 for 18 in his prior six games.
Cabrera and Price will try to help the Tigers start a 10-game trek on the right foot. Detroit won five of six on its first trip this season April 10-15.
The Tigers will face two other AL Central opponents, Kansas City and Chicago, on this journey.
"If you can get hot at the right time against your division, it can be a huge help," manager Brad Ausmus said. "It was good to win two out of three (against Cleveland) after losing three of four to the Yankees, but we have Minnesota, Chicago and Kansas City on the road staring us in the face."
Price is coming off one of the worst showing of his career, eight runs and 10 hits allowed in 2 1-3 innings in Wednesday's 13-4 drubbing to the New York Yankees. He had a 0.40 ERA in his first three games.
Price is 6-3 with a 2.29 ERA in 11 career starts against Minnesota and has pitched 16 scoreless innings in the past two.
The Twins (8-10) saw their average drop to .223 after a 2-0 loss in Seattle on Friday but took the final two games while producing a combined 12 runs and 19 hits. Joe Mauer tripled in the go-ahead runs in a 4-2 victory in 11 innings Sunday.
"After losing the opener here and salvaging a .500 road trip, that's a step up for us," manager Paul Molitor said. "To go home 3-3 after losing the first game here, that's pretty good."
Mauer, batting .344 in his last eight games, had three of Minnesota's 14 hits in the three games in Detroit, but is 5 for 27 (.185) lifetime against Price.
Tommy Milone's teams have provided more than enough support in his five regular-season starts against Detroit, winning them by a combined 59-17 score. He's gone 3-0 with a 2.93 ERA in those games.
Milone (2-0, 3.38) gave up five runs and 10 hits in 4 1-3 innings in his latest matchup Aug. 22, but the Twins won 20-6.
He failed to earn a win for the first time this season Tuesday, giving up four runs in 5 2-3 innings in a 6-5 loss in Kansas City.
