DETROIT — David Price had the longest outing of his young career to help the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Detroit Tigers 3-1 on Saturday.

He lasted 7 1-3 innings and allowed a run and five hits. Price (7-6) struck out four and walked one. J.P. Howell pitched the ninth for his 16th save in 23 chances.

Price worked out of a jam in the third inning, striking out Curtis Granderson and getting Placido Polanco to pop out with runners on second and third. Price also struck out Miguel Cabrera with a runner on second to end the sixth.

Nate Robertson (1-1) took the loss as he was making his first appearance after coming off the disabled list Friday. He had been sidelined after having left elbow surgery. Robertson allowed two runs and four hits in four innings. He walked one and struck out four in his first start of the season.

Magglio Ordonez's two-out RBI single in the eighth off Dan Wheeler produced Detroit's run.

Gabe Gross' leaping catch at the wall on Granderson's drive with a runner on first and none out in the eighth prevented the Tigers' from tying the game. Gross had pinch hit for starting right fielder Gabe Kapler in the top of the eighth.

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Tampa Bay scored twice runs in the third on Ben Zobrist's RBI groundout and Carlos Pena's two-out run-scoring single.

Pena was allowed to bat after the inning was extended when Robertson struck out Pat Burrell with a runner on second and two out, but catcher Gerald Laird couldn't handle the pitch. It allowed Burrell to reach first and Jason Bartlett to goto third. Pena followed with his single.

Carl Crawford added a sacrifice fly in the ninth for the Rays.

Notes: Tampa Bay activated 2B Akinori Iwamura from the 60-day disabled list and he was in the starting lineup. Iwamura missed 81 games while recovering from left knee surgery. He suffered the injury on May 24. ... Robertson had four masses removed from the elbow area of his arm. ... Detroit SS Adam Everett made two errors.

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