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Rays, Nationals collide again in Tampa

Jun 16, 2015 - 2:14 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Tampa Bay Rays look to secure a fifth straight victory on Tuesday night when they resume a home-and-home series with the Washington Nationals.

The Rays, who visit the Nationals for two games beginning on Wednesday, won the opener of this set on Monday night by a 6-1 score. Erasmo Ramirez hurled six scoreless innings and Logan Forsythe drove in two runs as part of a three- hit game.

Ramirez struck out four and scattered five hits with three walks in six innings before three Tampa relievers held onto the lead. Washington had the bases loaded with one out in the ninth, but Bryce Harper lined into a game- ending double play.

Kevin Kiermaier added two doubles and two runs for the Rays, while Steven Souza walked five times.

Tampa Bay, though, lost third baseman Evan Longoria to a wrist injury when he was hit by a pitch in the fifth inning. Longoria, who missed three games last week due to a sore wrist, may not play in this game.

"I'm guessing he's going to be pretty sore tomorrow," said Rays manager Kevin Cash. "No decisions have been made whether he's going to play or not."

Gio Gonzalez took the loss after allowing five runs on eight hits and three walks in 3 1/3 innings. Yunel Escobar drove in the Nats' only run in the ninth.

"The first inning, (Gonzalez) threw some fastballs in to the right-handers," said Nationals manager Matt Williams. "After that, he lost command."

Washington had a two-game winning streak snapped.

Tanner Roark will make his fifth start of the season in place of the injured Doug Fister and it will be his first against the Rays in his career.

Roark allowed just three runs in 11 innings over his first two outings in place of Fister, but has yielded nine runs over his last two starts. Still, he has won both of his decisions in a starting role and is 2-2 with a save and 3.71 earned run average in 17 total appearances this season.

The right-hander is coming off a no-decision in Milwaukee on Thursday as he was charged with five runs on nine hits and a walk over 6 2/3 innings. The Nationals ended up losing the game 6-5.

"That's on my shoulders for not keeping (the lead) and letting them back in the game," Roark said.

Winless over his past two starts despite allowing just a total of two runs, Alex Colome hopes to pick up his first win since May 21 tonight for the Rays.

Colome is 0-1 over his last four starts and 3-2 on the year with a 4.21 ERA. However, he has yielded two or fewer runs in six of his nine outings, including in back-to-back no-decisions. He yielded a run and seven hits over six frames in Seattle on June 6, a game Tampa Bay lost 2-1, then was charged with a run on four hits over 5 1/3 frames on Thursday.

The Rays offense again struggled, though, losing a 6-2 decision.

The 26-year-old righty has never before faced the Nationals.

Tampa Bay swept a three-game series when it last hosted the Nationals in 2009, with Washington taking two of three in the most recent series in 2012.