Tampa Bay Rays keep coming back, but Washington Nationals win in 11

Starlin Castro’s RBI double and Josh Harrison’s sacrifice fly in the 11th inning provided the decisive runs in the Washington Nationals’ 9-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Ryan Zimmerman hit two home runs and drove in three runs as the Nationals split the two-game series while snapping their three-game losing streak and ending the Rays’ three-game winning streak.

Tampa Bay lost for only the fifth time in its past 25 games and second time in its past 11 home games.

The Rays rallied from two-run deficits three times, with Randy Arozarena fueling two of those comebacks. Arozarena, who went 3 for 5 with three RBIs, led off the bottom of the 10th with a triple that scored Austin Meadows to cut the Rays’ deficit to 7-6.

Joey Wendle, who tied the game at 5 with a pinch-hit solo home run off Nationals reliever Daniel Hudson in the eighth, then tied the game at 7 with an RBI single off Brad Hand (3-2).

But in the 11th, Castro hit the first pitch he saw from Diego Castillo (2-3) off the left field wall, driving in pinch runner Jordy Mercer from second.

Earlier, Zimmerman tied the game at 3 with a solo homer to right field in the top of the third off Rays rookie starter Shane McClanahan.

Juan Soto, who hit a two-run homer in the first inning, drew a walk to lead off the top of the fifth. Zimmerman followed with a 393-foot homer off Rays reliever Jeffrey Springs to give Washington a 5-3 lead.

Zimmerman, who has eight home runs this season, recorded his first multi-homer game since April 21, 2019.

Tanner Rainey picked up his first save of the season after working around a leadoff walk in the bottom of the 11th. He struck out two.

Castro and Victor Robles each went 2 for 5. The Rays’ Taylor Walls hit his first career home run in the bottom of the seventh.

–Field Level Media