WASHINGTON — Although the Rays have little probability to pile up sufficient wins to make the playoffs, there are nonetheless some particular person numbers a few of their gamers are aiming for.
Akin to Brandon Lowe and 30 residence runs.
Lowe on Friday went deep for the twenty seventh time this season, giving the Rays an early lead they rode to a 3-1 victory over the Nationals, enhancing to 65-69.
Lowe homered in back-to-back video games for the fifth time this season.
With 28 video games remaining, he has an inexpensive shot to get to 30 for the second time in his eight seasons with the Rays. He hit a career-high 39 in 2021.
Lowe’s two-run homer within the first got here after Yandy Diaz singled with two outs towards Washington starter Mitchell Parker.
The Nationals halved the margin within the backside of the primary as Adrian Houser obtained off to a shaky begin, strolling leadoff man James Wooden then giving up a single to CJ Abrams. An infield out moved the runners, and Luis Garcia Jr.’s sacrifice fly made it 2-1.
Due to some good protection by rookie leftfielder Chandler Simpson — capped by a spectacular diving catch with two on and two outs within the third — and an enormous strikeout by Houser of Abrams, the Rays held the lead by way of 4 innings.
They added to it within the fifth when Everson Pereira, a July 31 commerce acquisition from the Yankees, hit his first big-league residence run. Pereira, 24, performed 27 video games with New York in 2023; Friday was his twelfth with the Rays.
The Nationals threatened within the seventh when Rays reliever Garrett Cleavinger put the primary two on — strolling Wooden and giving up a single to Abrams — however then struck out the subsequent three: Josh Bell, pinch-hitter Andrés Chaparro and Riley Adams.
Houser, additionally a July 31 commerce pickup, labored simply 4 innings, permitting six hits and three walks however solely the one run, throwing 86 pitches to get the 12 outs.
He completed on an excellent observe after loading the bases within the fourth by getting Abrams a Strike 3 sinker.
The Rays prolonged their result in 4-1 on an RBI single by Simpson within the ninth.
Nearer Pete Fairbanks, who blew a ninth-inning lead Wednesday at Cleveland, allowed two two-out hits within the ninth Friday earlier than securing his twenty third save of the season and 86th with the Rays, breaking a tie with Fernando Rodney for third on the all-time franchise listing.
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