Price throws 7 scoreless in return from DL, Rays shut out Astros again in 8-0 win

HOUSTON — AL Cy Young Award winner David Price pitched three-hit ball for seven innings in his return from the disabled list and Desmond Jennings homered and drove in four runs as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Houston Astros for the second straight night, 8-0 on Tuesday.

Price (2-4) had missed the last 44 games with a left triceps strain in his first-ever stint on the DL. But he showed no signs of rust, allowing a season-low for hits with a season-best 10 strikeouts.

Manager Joe Maddon had said he'd be happy to get six innings out of his ace before the game, but Price was so efficient he got through seven with just 70 pitches.

Three relievers combined to finish the four-hitter, a night after the Rays two-hit the Astros.

Jennings, who finished with three hits, had a two-run single in the fourth to make it 3-0 and his two-run homer in the sixth pushed the lead to five runs.

Houston starter Erik Bedard (3-4) yielded six hits and four runs with a season-high six walks in 5 1-3 innings.

Price had a tough time in his nine starts before the injury, winning just once in that span.

He struck out the first two in the third before a single by Jimmy Paredes, who was soon caught stealing to end the inning.

The 27-year-old, who won 20 games last season, really got rolling after that, retiring 12 of the last 13 batters he faced with five strikeouts. Houston's only hit in that stretch came on a single by Carlos Corporan with one out in the fifth.

The Astros have been in an offensive funk lately, and haven't scored in 21 consecutive innings. But that run was unearned, leaving them without an earned run in 29 innings. They've managed just four earned runs over the last five games.

Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria had two singles in his return to the lineup after missing three straight games with plantar fasciitis in his right foot. The All-Star third baseman was Tampa Bay's designated hitter against Houston as he continued to struggle with the condition. He was replaced by a pinch-runner after his single in the ninth.

Houston had its best chance to score in the eighth with runners at first and second with no outs. But Joel Peralta replaced Jamey Wright, and he sat down the next three Astros to preserve the shutout.

Jennings led off with a single before Sean Rodriguez drew a walk. Longoria walked with one out and Tampa Bay took a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly by Wil Myers. Bedard limited the damage by striking out Escobar.

Loney extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a one-out single in the fourth inning. Jose Molina walked before Loney advanced to third on a groundout. The single by Jennings, which sailed just out of reach of a diving Jose Altuve and into shallow right field, sent two home to extend the lead to 3-0.

Molina doubled to start the sixth and Bedard was replaced by Josh Fields with one out. He was greeted by the towering homer by Jennings, which bounced high on the wall in left field, to leave Tampa Bay up 5-0.