ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Jonathan Aranda hit a three-run home run, Griffin Jax allowed two runs in five innings and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Washington Nationals 5-2 on Friday night to open a 10-game homestand.
Tampa Bay, coming off a 1-5 trip to California, improved to a MLB-best 25-9 at home.
Washington, winners of five consecutive road series, dropped consecutive games for the first time since June 1-3. Miles Mikolas (2-6) took the loss for Washington after
allowing five runs in six innings.
Jax (2-6) picked up his first victory since April 18 after allowing four hits and striking out five. Steven Matz, Kevin Kelly and Garret Clevinger combined to pitch three scoreless innings out of the bullpen before Bryan Baker retired the side in order in the ninth for his 19th save of the season.
Washington built a 2-0 lead off solo home runs from C.J. Abrams in the second and Luis Garcia, Jr. in the third along with a pair of shutout innings from opener P.J. Poulin, who stepped in after scheduled starter Cade Cavalli was scratched due to illness.
Aranda sliced an opposite-field, three-run home run off Mikolas that caromed off the foul pole in left field to put the Rays in front 3-2 in the bottom of the third. Taylor Walls singled in Richie Palacios in the fourth with his 300th career hit to put Tampa Bay up 4-2.
Jonny DeLuca hit a solo home run in the eighth after being reinstated from the 10-day disabled list before the game.
Washington RHP Cade Cavalli (4-4, 3.98 ERA) was scheduled to start Saturday. Tampa Bay had not announced a starter.
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