Nationals at Rays
The rejuvenated Tampa Bay Rays look to extend their home winning streak to eight when they face three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer and the visiting Washington Nationals on Tuesday afternoon. Wilson Ramos launched two homers and Kevin Kiermaier belted a grand slam in an 11-0 rout of the Nationals on Monday for Tampa Bay’s first win in eight interleague contests this year.
The Rays swept the powerful New York Yankees over the weekend and have won six of their last eight overall with strong performances from young players such as 22-year-old Jake Bauers, who is 6-for-11 with a walk-off homer in the last two games. Nathan Eovaldi looks to match Blake Snell’s dominant performance Monday when he takes the mound for Tampa Bay in the finale of the two-game set while Scherzer tries to win for the first time in four starts. Anthony Rendon broke up Snell’s no-hitter in the seventh inning with a double to extend his hitting streak to nine games (15-for-35) and teammate Juan Soto matched that streak with a single in the ninth as the Nationals settled for two hits. Washington has dropped 10 of its last 14 games overall and six of its past seven on the road while being shut out six times in June.
TV: 12:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, MASN (Washington), FS Sun (Tampa Bay)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Max Scherzer (10-3, 2.09 ERA) vs. Rays RH Nathan Eovaldi (1-3, 4.91)
Scherzer is winless in his last three starts, but allowed a combined six runs over 20 innings and the Nationals were shut out in twice during that stretch. The 33-year-old Missouri product has posted 13 quality starts in his last 14 appearances, including eight innings of two-run ball with 13 strikeouts against Tampa Bay on June 5 in a win. Matt Duffy is 3-for-5 with a double and a homer versus Scherzer, who is 5-2 with a 2.82 ERA in nine career starts against the Rays.
Eovaldi is winless in four starts since his dazzling season debut when he held Oakland hitless over six innings with four strikeouts and one walk on May 30. The 28-year-old Texan has given up 16 runs and 23 hits across 23 1/3 innings over his last four outings, including five innings of four-run ball versus Scherzer and Washington on June 5. Daniel Murphy is 8-for-19 with four doubles and a homer against Eovaldi, who is 2-5 with a 5.30 ERA in 10 career outings versus Washington.
WALK-OFFS
1. Washington RF Bryce Harper is 7-for-46, including three hits Sunday, with 13 strikeouts in his last 14 games.
2. Duffy has hit safely in his last five games, going 7-for-19 with three walks in that stretch to raise his batting average to .318.
3. The Nationals activated RHP Brandon Kintzler (forearm) from the 10-day disabled list Monday and optioned RHP Jefry Rodriguez to Triple-A Syracuse.