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LAKELAND, Fla. — David Price didn’t want to end spring training this way.
Price was rocked for seven runs over six innings in his final tuneup for opening day as the Detroit Tigers lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-3 Tuesday.
“I just wanted to work on some things, last-minute things,” Price said. “I know I need to make better pitches, but body-wise I feel fine.”
Price is to start Monday’s opener against Minnesota, ending Justin Verlander’s streak of pitching seven straight Detroit openers.
Price cruised through the first three innings before allowing four runs in the fourth on RBI doubles by Andrew McCutchen and Jung-ho Kang. and Francisco Cervelli’s two-run homer. Cervelli, who is hitting .344, had an RBI single in the sixth and Sean Rodriguez a two-run single.
Price allowed eight hits, struck out five and walked none. He finished spring training with a 5.76 ERA.
Twins 3, Yankees 1
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Masahiro Tanaka gave up three runs in 4 1-3 innings Tuesday and declared himself healthy and ready for the season following the New York Yankees’ loss to the Minnesota Twins.
Tanaka struck out one and gave up a solo home run to Eduardo Escobar. He missed 2 1/2 months last season because of a small elbow ligament tear but has had no problems this spring, finishing with a 3.07 ERA in four starts.
“I didn’t ever feel like we needed to give him an extra day or be cautious,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “He has never reported any trouble with his arm. I think that he’s ready to go. We wanted to make sure that he’s ready.”
Tanaka is pleased with his preparation this spring, his second with New York.
Blue Jays 10, Phillies 6
DUNEDIN, Fla. — Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista and Josh Donaldson each hit long home runs, lifting the Toronto Blue Jays to a victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
Encarnacion’s two-run shot off Sean O’Sullivan in the first inning went over batter’s eye screen in center field. It was the first of the spring for Encarnacion, who has struggled to a .118 average. He also previously missed 16 games with back inflammation.
Bautista’s drive in the fifth, also against O’Sullivan, landed far over the left field fence. Donaldson followed up two batters later with a solo drive off reliever Luis Garcia that easily cleared the 400-foot mark in center.
Prospect Rowdy Tellez added a two-run shot to right for Toronto in the eighth.
O’Sullivan, a candidate for the fifth spot in Philadelphia’s rotation, allowed five hits and five runs in four innings. He also walked four and struck out two.
Mets 2, Nationals 0
VIERA, Fla. — A day after being traded from the Washington Nationals to the New York Mets, left-handed reliever Jerry Blevins found himself facing slugger Bryce Harper.
Blevins got the best of his pal.
The Mets’ reliever struck out Harper on three pitches to start off the seventh inning as the Mets beat the Nationals.
“He’s a friend of mine, but we’re on the field together, we’re both competitors,” Blevins said. “There’s no friendly, ‘I’m going to give you a fastball down the middle,’ or he’s going to take a pitch. It’s baseball.”
Athletics 13, Angels 10
TEMPE, Ariz. — Barry Zito’s spotless spring ended when he gave up three home runs to the Los Angeles Angels in the third inning, but the Oakland Athletics also had a big day at the plate in a victory.
Zito, trying a comeback after sitting out last season, had thrown 13 scoreless innings in Cactus League play before Collin Cowgill, Kole Calhoun and David Freese went deep for the Angels.
Diamondbacks 8, Rangers (ss) 7
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Mark Trumbo and Paul Goldschmidt homered, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to a victory over a split-squad of Texas Rangers.
Trumbo and Goldschmidt had three hits apiece, and Blake Lalli singled in the winning run in the ninth. Lalli is trying to make the team as a backup catcher.
Cubs 15, Rangers (ss) 10
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Kyuji Fujikawa failed to retire any of the five batters he faced in an eight-run ninth inning as a Texas Rangers’ split squad lost to the Chicago Cubs.
Fujikawa, who signed with the Rangers in December after pitching for the Cubs last year, had retired 21 of 25 batters in exhibition games. Chicago sent 12 batters to the plate in the ninth, and Fujikawa’s ERA jumped from 1.35 to 13.50.
Reds 10, Brewers 4
PHOENIX — Jay Bruce snapped a spring slump with a three-run homer among his two hits and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Milwaukee Brewers.
Bruce, who was hitting .162 coming in, scored twice and singled during a five-run sixth inning.
Indians 8, Mariners 6
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Felix Hernandez left in the second inning of his final tuneup before Seattle’s opener. Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon didn’t last much longer.
McClendon was ejected in the fourth inning of Cleveland’s win over Seattle.
Giants 4, Rockies 3
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Tim Lincecum pitched into the sixth inning, Justin Maxwell had three hits and drove in three runs, and the San Francisco Giants rallied to beat the Colorado Rockies.
Matt Duffy singled home the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth. Santiago Casilla pitched a scoreless ninth for his first save, and Brandon Belt added two hits.
White Sox 2, Dodgers 1
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier left loss to the Chicago White Sox after he was hit on his right elbow by a pitch.
Ethier fell to the dirt in pain after he was plunked by rookie Carlos Rodon in the third. He was replaced by Chris Heisey, who homered in the fifth.
Marlins 3, Cardinals 2
JUPITER, Fla. — Adam Wainwright pitched into the seventh inning in St. Louis’ loss to Miami, and manager Mike Matheny said the ace right-hander will start for the Cardinals on opening night against the Cubs.
Wainwright allowed two runs and eight hits while throwing 93 pitches in 6 2/3 innings. He was slowed by an abdominal injury early in spring training.
Rays 4, Orioles 3
SARASOTA, Fla. — Competing for the fifth spot in the Baltimore Orioles’ rotation, Kevin Gausman gave up four runs in 3 2-3 innings of a loss to a Tampa Bay Rays split-squad.
Gausman and Ubaldo Jimenez are vying for the final position and, lately, Jimenez, who signed a four-year, $50 million contract a year ago, has outpitched the 24-year-old.