• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Rays-Indians Preview

Jul 24, 2010 - 5:58 AM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

Tampa Bay (57-37) at Cleveland (40-55), 7:05 p.m. EDT

David Price didn't look like an All-Star in his last trip to the mound. The Tampa Bay Rays may need him to pitch like one in order to snap a lengthy road losing streak to the Cleveland Indians.

The 24-year-old left-hander tries to rebound from his worst performance of the season when the Rays face the red-hot Indians on Saturday night.

Price (12-5, 2.84 ERA) is second in the AL in wins and among the leaders in ERA but was roughed up Sunday, surrendering a season-high seven runs and walking four in five innings of a 9-5 loss at New York. That performance came five days after he started the All-Star game and tossed two scoreless innings.

"It was pretty brutal, but I can't really blame anything on it," Price said. "I just wasn't very good. I didn't get myself prepared for this game the way I should."

The Rays (57-38) are sputtering since the break, dropping four of seven to fall four games back of the AL East-leading Yankees.

A better outing from Price could help cut into that gap while also ending an 18-game slide at Cleveland for the Rays, who suffered a 3-1 rain-shortened defeat to begin this three-game series Friday.

Tampa Bay hasn't won at Progressive Field since Sept. 28, 2005.

"We don't play well here," manager Joe Maddon said. "Why? I have no idea. Obviously, we want to change that."

Price is 0-3 with a 5.68 ERA in his last three road starts after winning six of the previous seven behind a 2.66 ERA. He lasted 3 1-3 innings in his only start in Cleveland on May 25, 2009, yielding two runs and throwing 100 pitches in a game that saw the Indians score seven times in the ninth to win 11-10.

Price dominated the Indians at home May 18, allowing an unearned run in six innings of a 6-2 victory.

Unlike Tampa Bay, Cleveland (41-55) has been playing well since the All-Star break, winning seven of eight. The Indians are batting .303 with 31 homers during their home win streak over the Rays.

"It is kind of remarkable," manager Manny Acta said.

Trevor Crowe has played a key role in Cleveland's recent surge, hitting .379 with three doubles, a triple, a homer and five RBIs in the last eight games.

The center fielder homered Friday for the first time since his season debut May 15 at Baltimore.

The Indians are scheduled to give Mitch Talbot (8-8, 3.89) his first start against the Rays, the team he broke into the majors with in 2008. The rookie right-hander is 1-4 with a 4.54 ERA in his last seven starts while failing to complete at least six innings in five of them.

Talbot allowed one run and six hits while throwing 105 pitches over five innings in a 2-1, 11-inning win over Detroit last Saturday.