Highlights of Thursday's Major League Baseball games

Reuters

Aug 21 (The Sports Xchange) - Highlights of Thursday's Major League Baseball games. - - - Rays 1, Tigers 0 Detroit Tigers left-hander David Price gave up only one hit in eight innings but still lost to the former Tampa Bay Rays in his return to his former home. Price, the former Cy Young winner who spent his first seven seasons with Tampa Bay, faced the Rays for the first time since he was traded to Detroit July 31 in a three-team deal with Seattle. He received a standing ovation before the game, but was outdueled by Tampa Bay's next ace Alex Cobb. Cobb tossed seven shutout innings, scattering two hits, to help the Rays halt a four-game losing streak. Rookie outfielder Brandon Guyer knocked in the only run of the game with a triple in the first. It was the only hit off Price, who struck out nine and retired 23 straight Rays to end his 100-pitch outing. - - - Nationals 1, Diamondbacks 0 Denard Span scored on a throwing error by Arizona third baseman Jordan Pacheco with one out in the ninth inning as the Washington Nationals beat the Diamondbacks for their 10th win a row. The Nationals tied a franchise record for consecutive wins set in 2005. Six of the last seven victories have been won by one run and Washington has five walk-off wins in the last six games. Washington also matched the longest winning streak in the majors this season. Kansas City has also won 10 in a row. The National League East-leading Nationals (73-53) climbed a season-high 20 games above .500 and Arizona (53-75) fell to a season-worst 22 games below .500. The Diamondbacks have lost six in a row. - - - Yankees 3, Astros 0 Brandon McCarthy continued his resurgence by pitching a four-hit shutout as the New York Yankees salvaged the finale of a three-game series with a victory over the Houston Astros in a game that lasted barely two hours. McCarthy improved to 5-2 with a 1.90 ERA in eight starts since being acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 6. Switch-hitting third baseman Chase Headley had a two-run double and right fielder Ichiro Suzuki lifted a sacrifice fly for the Yankees, who won for the third time in 10 games and ended a four-game home losing streak. - - - Twins 4, Indians 1 Trevor Plouffe's two-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning was the difference as the Minnesota Twins beat the Cleveland Indians. The victory salvaged the final game of a three-game set for Minnesota. (Editing by Andrew Both)