Tyler Glasnow struck out 11 over seven innings to lead the host Tampa Bay Rays to a 3-1 win over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Pitching after an extra two days of rest, Glasnow (5-2) threw 114 pitches, allowed one run on six hits and walked one to help the Rays win their third in a row and fourth in their past five games. Tampa Bay has won nine of its past 10 at Tropicana Field.
Manuel Margot led off the game with a 419-foot homer to left-center off Nationals starter Jon Lester; Margot went 2-for-5 to back up Glasnow’s quality start.
Rays reliever J.P. Feyereisen loaded the bases with one out after issuing three walks in the top of the eighth, but Ryan Thompson bailed Tampa Bay out of the jam by striking out Ryan Zimmerman and Josh Bell to end the threat. Diego Castillo worked a scoreless ninth to lock up his 10th save.
The Nationals suffered their third consecutive loss and fourth in their past five games.
Glasnow gave up his only run in the top of the third on an RBI single by Trea Turner, which scored Starlin Castro to tie the game at 1.
But Glasnow kept the Nationals from taking the lead when Juan Soto grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
The Rays jumped back in front with two runs in the bottom of the fifth, on an RBI double by Mike Brosseau off Nationals reliever Wander Suero (0-1) and Mike Zunino’s RBI single two batters later off Sam Clay.
Lester left the game in the fourth with the bases loaded and two outs after throwing 91 pitches. But Suero induced a pop-up to center from Yandy Diaz, leaving the runners stranded. Lester walked four batters and gave up four hits, with Margot’s homer accounting for his lone earned run allowed over 3 2/3 innings.
Yan Gomes went 1-for-4 in his return to Washington’s lineup after missing the previous four games with hamstring tightness.
–Field Level Media