MINNEAPOLIS -- The Detroit Tigers expected David Price to bolster their postseason chances when they traded for the 2012 Cy Young Award winner this summer.

After winning 11 games with Tampa Bay, though, he has a losing record as a Tigers starter and his latest setback further tightened the AL Central race.

The left-hander gave up five runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings Wednesday night as the Minnesota Twins beat the Tigers 8-4 ahead of Detroit's big weekend series in Kansas City.

Price (14-12) fell to 3-4 since coming to the Tigers in a July 31 trade with the Rays.

Danny Santana tripled, doubled and drove in two runs for the Twins. Kyle Gibson (12-11) recovered from a rough start to pitch last-place Minnesota to its second straight win over the division leaders.

The Tigers ended the night with a half-game lead over the second-place Royals, who beat the Chicago White Sox 6-2.

Price looked like a much different pitcher than his previous outing in Minnesota, when he threw eight shutout innings to lead Tampa Bay over the Twins 5-1. This time, he took the mound with a 2-0 lead and promptly allowed three runs in the first.

"I felt good. I just didn't make enough good pitches, and that's a tough thing to swallow," Price said. "Especially getting two runs before I even take the mound."

Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera went 4 for 5 with a pair of doubles but was thrown out after Detroit made a costly mistake on the bases in the seventh.

With the Twins up 6-4 and Torii Hunter on first, Cabrera doubled to advance Hunter to third. Victor Martinez grounded to first base and Cabrera -- apparently expecting Hunter to break for the plate -- was caught off second and tagged out for an inning-ending double play.

"I accept that, full responsibility," Hunter said. "I misled him and that's my fault."

Santana had three hits and finished a home run short of the cycle. He also scored three times.

Gibson allowed four runs and seven baserunners in the first two innings but retired 10 of the final 13 batters he faced.

"He bowed his neck a little bit as they say, old-school baseball, and he hung in there and got us through six innings," manager Ron Gardenhire said.

 

Kyle Gibson, Minnesota Twins vs Detroit Tigers
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