Jonathan Aranda sliced a go-ahead, three-run homer off the left field foul pole, and the Tampa Bay Rays won the opener of their three-game series against Washington by topping the Nationals 5-2 on Friday night.
Opening a season-long 10-game homestand and owning the best home record in the majors (25-9 after Friday’s win), the Rays fought back from a 2-0 deficit and used Aranda’s deep shot to end a three-game losing streak.
Jonny Deluca returned to the lineup after a nearly month-long absence and hit a solo homer. Yandy Diaz and Junior Caminero had two singles apiece.
Pitching with an extra day’s rest, Griffin Jax (2-5) threw five innings and allowed two runs on four hits including two solo homers. He fanned five without a walk.
Closer Bryan Baker notched his 19th save with a perfect ninth.
Washington’s Luis Garcia Jr. went 2-for-3 with a homer, and CJ Abrams also went deep.
Cade Cavalli (illness) was scheduled as the starter, but he was scratched earlier in the day for PJ Poulin, who served as the opener.
Poulin tossed two scoreless innings before turning the mound duties over to two-time All-Star Miles Mikolas, who had posted 11 2/3 shutout innings in his past two outings.
Mikolas (2-6) took the loss after pitching the final six innings and surrendering five runs on nine hits. He struck out two with a walk.
The visitors struck first in the second inning when Abrams led off the frame by crushing a Jax cutter an estimated 412 feet to center for his 15th home run. Nasim Nunez singled and stole his National League-leading 27th base, but left fielder Chandler Simpson’s sliding grab on Jorbit Vivas slowed the fleet Nats.
After DeLuca made a leaping snag of James Wood’s long drive to right-center, Garcia lifted his 10th homer to left, just making it into the first row for a 2-0 lead in the third.
Mikolas entered in the third and put runners on with a walk and a hit with one out. Aranda followed by knocking a shot off the foul pole down the left field line and making it 3-2.
Tampa Bay added another run in the fourth when Taylor Walls singled in Richie Palacios after the second baseman’s one-out double.
DeLuca smacked his third homer, a majestic 398-foot shot high to left, leading off the eighth for the final tally.
–Field Level Media