The Tampa Bay Rays dropped their series to the Washington Nationals on Thursday night with 5-2 loss. After the drama of their Game 1 win, the Rays lost the final two games as Nats starters Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez controlled the final two games. Gonzalez gave up just two runs to the Rays in six innings of work and Joe Maddon's club could not rally against the Washington bullpen.
Tampa took a 1-0 lead early in the game when Desmond Jennings singled home Hideki Matsui. After falling behind 2-1, Sean Rodriguez tied it up with a single that knocked in Ben Zobrist. But that's all the offense would manage as the Nats took the lead in the bottom half of the inning on a double by Danny Espinosa. The two-run inning came off Joel Peralta and the Nats would never look back.
The Rays will stay out on the road and face the Phillies on Friday night with James Shields on the mound.
For more news, analysis, and discussion on the Rays, visit DRaysBay. For more on the Nationals throughout this interleague series, visit Federal Baseball.