Washington ace Max Scherzer cooled off Tampa Bay with seven scoreless innings, and the Nationals used a makeshift lineup to beat the Rays 6-1 on Monday night.
Kurt Suzuki had an RBI double among his three hits and Michael A. Taylor drove in two runs for the last-place Nationals, who were missing several regulars and started utilityman Brock Holt at designated hitter for the sixth time in his career. Holt batted third and went 2 for 4 with a double. He has nine hits over his past three games.
Scherzer (4-2) stranded six baserunners in the first four innings before settling in and retiring 10 straight batters in one stretch. The three-time Cy Young Award winner allowed six hits, struck out eight and walked one in his second-longest outing of the season.
The Rays came in with a season-best 5 1/2-game lead in the AL East and had won 22 of 27, while the Nationals were coming off a 3-8 trip that left a playoff berth highly unlikely for the defending World Series champions.
In his second start since missing three weeks with shoulder inflammation, Tampa Bay right-hander Charlie Morton (1-2) threw 57 pitches in five innings, allowing three runs and four hits.
Randy Arozarena homered for the Rays in the eighth, connecting against Tanner Rainey. Tampa Bay loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth against Will Harris and forced manager Dave Martinez to bring in closer Daniel Hudson, who struck out Arozarena for his eighth save in 11 chances.
Washington broke it open with three runs in the sixth against Trevor Richards. Holt led off with a double off the wall in right and scored on Josh Harrison’s single. Taylor hit a one-out flare over the drawn-in infield and sprinted to second for a double that scored Suzuki and Eric Thames.
WORTH NOTING
Washington infielder Wilmer Difo, who had been designated for assignment, cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to the team’s alternate site.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rays: LHP Ryan Yarbrough, who missed his last start with left groin tightness, said he expects he will have no restrictions when he returns to the mound Tuesday. “I’m feeling really great right now and until they take the ball out of my hands, I’m going to do what I was doing,” he said. … Manager Kevin Cash said he would be “mindful” of players’ workload during the final three weeks of the regular season but added that until the Rays clinch a playoff spot, “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Nationals: C Suzuki took a foul tip off his right leg in the fifth. He was visited by a trainer but stayed in the game. … Rookie 2B Luis Garcia (bruised heel) was scratched. … INF Asdrúbal Cabrera (back stiffness) got the night off. … OF Juan Soto (sore left elbow) missed his fifth straight game. … RHP Dakota Bacus was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right flexor strain. Washington recalled RHP James Borque from its alternate training site in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
UP NEXT
Rays: Yarbrough (0-2, 3.65 ERA) starts for the first time since Aug. 28 as Tampa Bay concludes its two-game series at Washington.
Nationals: RH Aníbal Sánchez (1-4, 6.48 ERA) has worked past the sixth inning once in his seven starts this season, and that was his only victory - on Aug. 23 against Miami.
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