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The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Washington Nationals Tuesday night 10-6 as they improve to 5-0 on the season. With the Twins losing, the Rays are the last team standing in Major League Baseball who remain undefeated. Additionally, they are the only team to begin a season with five consecutive wins since the 7-0, 2016 Orioles.
The Rays pitching rotation has been the highlight of its first four wins, but the offense is what carried them Tuesday night. It wasn’t until back-to-back home runs in the ninth inning that sparked the five-run frame to secure the win.
Chad Kuhl started on the mound for the Nationals as Josh Fleming toed the rubber for the Rays.
Game Tallies Runs Early
The first two innings saw four runs cross the plate for both sides.
Back-to-back singles by Yandy Diaz and Brandon Lowe put two runners on for the Rays. Randy Arrozrena laced a hard fly ball to right field that scored Diaz for the first run of the game. Wander Franco’s RBI ground out pushed its lead to 3-0 and a sacrifice fly by Luke Raley scored Arrozrena.
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But the Nationals responded in their home half of the first inning as they took advantage of a walk. Fleming issued a walk to Joey Meneses and a base hit by Jeimer Candelario put two runners on base. A ground out by Dominic Smith would advance both runners and a single by Alex call scored two, making it a one run ballgame.
Jose Siri blasted a two out home run to center field to push the Rays lead 4-2.
Fleming struggled in his outing as the Nationals continued to see his pitches well. Victor Robles singled on a ground ball to right field and back-to-back doubles by CJ Abrams and Lane Thomas scored two to tie the ballgame at four a piece.
Rays Offense Gets Quiet, Nationals Snag the Lead
Both teams had 1-2-3 innings in the third after a hot first two innings. The Rays went down in order again in the fourth, but the Nationals were able to push a run across.
Back-to-back singles by Robles and Abrams set up two runners on for Thomas. A sinker high in the zone to Thomas was sent back up the middle, scoring Robles to take the lead 5-4. Jalen Beeks came into relieve Fleming. Fleming gave up 10 hits in his three innings pitched, giving up five earned runs.
Zeros were thrown on the board by both sides after the fourth. The Rays were hitless from Arrozrena’s double in the second up until the eighth inning.
Chad Kuhl pitched five innings for the Nationals giving up four earned runs on four hits.
Washington rallied their last run of the ballgame in the seventh inning off of Kevin Kelly. Call singled on a fly ball to right fielder and Pinch-hitter Luis Garcia replaced Michael Chavis, who doubled to score Call. The Nationals looked like they had a promising 6-4 lead, until the Rays offense sparked.
Tampa’s Offense Sparks a Comeback Win
Hunter Harvey entered the mound in the eighth inning to face the Rays bats. A one out walk to Diaz ended up hurting him as Diaz scored on a line drive double by Arozarena to center field. The rays needed one more run to tie it, but instead they tallied five runs in the ninth inning to blow the game open.
Kyle Finnegan came to close in replacement of Harvey. Raley welcome him with a leadoff home run to left field to tie it and Lowe went back-to-back with him, sending a moonshot to right centerfield.
Back to back and just like that we are back pic.twitter.com/dufGbR450C
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 5, 2023
Pinch-hitter Isaac Paredes replaced Christian Bethancourt and followed with a walk. Pinch-runner Manuel Margot replaced Isaac Paredes and Margot stole second but was caught stealing third for the first out. Taylor Walls singled and Jose Siri doubled to put runners in scoring position.
Diaz capped off the game with a 414-foot, three-run home run to center field to secure the Rays lead 10-6.
Pete Fairbanks closed the game for Tampa with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
The Rays remain undefeated and look to sweep the series finale at 1pm on Wednesday.
