Rays bullpen, batters disappoint in loss to Nationals

ST. PETERSBURG — Shawn Armstrong couldn’t get out of the seventh inning Saturday. The Rays right-hander struggled for his second straight start, allowing six runs and recording just one out before manager Kevin Cash had to come out and catch him.

But that wasn’t the only reason the Rays lost to the Nationals 8-1 in front of a crowd of 17,501 at Tropicana Field.

Jake Irvin led Tampa Bay with one run – a homer by Brandon Lowe – and the Rays scored just two total hits. They lost 13-2, which was their largest margin of the season.

The loss drops the Rays (41-42) back below .500 and extends their series winning streak into Sunday; they have won three in a row.

Armstrong’s tough performance capped off a frustrating day.

The Nationals (39-43) had five more hits and two runs before Armstrong scored an out. That included an RBI double by C.J. Abrams and a two-run triple by former Ray Harold Ramirez.

“When you play like he did on Saturday, I mean it seemed like they were in attack mode and they didn’t miss a single pitch,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “It’s rare to see six or seven hitters go through 18 pitches and hit that many balls.”

Armstrong, who declined to speak to reporters after the game, has allowed eight runs in one inning over his last two appearances. The 33-year-old allowed eight runs in total in 29 appearances last season.

This was only the second time in Armstrong’s career that he allowed opponents to score more than three points in one inning; On April 8, 2017, he allowed five points for Cleveland.

His rich and successful track record spoke louder to his teammates than anything he could have said after Saturday’s defeat.

“There’s not a single guy in this club that’s worried about what Army’s going to bring to the table the next time he goes out,” Brandon Lowe said. “So you chalk it up to a bad performance, whatever it was, I know he’ll figure it out. He’ll be brilliant in his next performance.”

More concerning would be the offense, which has not been a model of consistency this season.

Lowe, who had not played in a week with a broken toe and a cold, took advantage of his first-round luck. He threw a foul ball that would normally have been a fastball, but it hung on the sidewalk and was ruled a foul ball.

“I mean, six years of playing here and this is the first time something positive has come out of the rings for me,” Lowe said. “So I could follow the ball and see where it was going, and when it stayed there, I was as happy as I could be.”

His next throw drove it 405 feet into the right-field seats. That tied the score at 1-1 and was the Rays’ last hit until the seventh inning when Randy Arozarena struck out Derek Law.

“He just has good equipment, a quick arm and knows how to throw,” Lowe said of Irvin. “He doesn’t just lay down fastballs for you in the middle of the field. He shows his strengths and does what he does well, and there’s a reason he’s a big leaguer.

Aaron Civale allowed two runs on six hits, walking four and striking out two. The right-hander hit a home run off Abrams to open the game. It was the 17th home run he has allowed this season and third most in the majors. He has homered in all but three of his starts this season. Luis Garcia Jr. scored on a wild pitch in the fourth inning Saturday.

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