Detroit @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 29, 2012 ) Detroit 2, Tampa Bay 4

The Tampa Bay Rays ended a four-game losing skid by beating Justin Verlander and look to make it two straight victories over the visiting Detroit Tigers on Saturday. Tampa Bay had matched a season-worst skid with four straight losses before clubbing three homers against Verlander, two coming from outfielder Brandon Jennings. Detroit fell to 3-5 with two games on a 10-game road trip. The inconsistent Tigers slipped back to three games below .500.

Detroit always figures to have a solid chance of winning when Verlander is on the mound but Tampa Bay dropped the Tigers five games behind the first-place Chicago White Sox in the American League Central. David Price became the AL’s first 11-game winner with seven solid innings before leaving with back tightness. Ben Zobrist hit his 10th homer of the season for the Rays, who are 5 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East. Tampa Bay’s victory was just its ninth in its last 24 home games.

TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, FOX

PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Rick Porcello (5-4, 4.71 ERA) vs. Rays RH Jeremy Hellickson (4-3, 3.45)

Porcello has won two of his last three starts and cooled down the Texas Rangers in his last outing. He limited the Rangers to one run and six hits in six innings. Porcello is 1-1 with a 3.15 ERA in three career starts against Tampa Bay. He took a no-decision against the Rays on April 10 when he gave up two runs in seven innings.

Hellickson is back from a stint on the disabled list due to shoulder fatigue. He went on the DL after being hammered for eight runs and nine hits in 3 2/3 innings by the New York Mets on June 14. Hellickson is 0-3 with two no-decisions since beating the Boston Red Sox on May 16. He is 1-2 with a 1.77 ERA in three career starts against Detroit.

WALK-OFFS

1. Jennings was homerless since April 24 before taking Verlander deep twice. He has five homers overall.

2. Tigers OF Austin Jackson is 11-for-25 during a six-game hitting streak.

3. Rays 3B Evan Longoria is moving closer to starting a second rehab attempt from the hamstring injury that has sidelined him since April 30.