Brandon Lowe's early homer sparks Rays win at Nationals

Brandon Lowe and Everson Pereira homered and the visiting Tampa Bay Rays beat the Washington Nationals 4-1 on Friday night.

Junior Caminero had two hits for the Rays, who had lost their last two.

CJ Abrams and Dylan Crews had three hits each for Washington, which outhit Tampa Bay 12-8 but went 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

Brian Van Belle (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings of relief for the win and Pete Fairbanks worked the ninth for his 23rd save despite allowing two hits as Tampa relievers tossed five scoreless innings. Rays starter Adrian Houser gave up a run over four innings.

Washington starter Mitchell Parker (7-15) went 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits. He struck out seven without a walk in his best outing since late July.

The Rays got to Parker with two outs in the first. Yandy Diaz singled and Lowe smacked his 27th homer of the season, a shot to right center.

Washington got one back in their half. James Wood walked, went to second on Abrams' single, moved to third on a ground out and scored on Luis Garcia, Jr.'s sacrifice fly.

Daylen Lile singled leading off the home second inning but was thrown out trying to go to third when Paul DeJong followed with a single to left.

The Nationals had runners on second and third after Houser balked with one out in the third, but Garcia struck out and Riley Adams lined out.

Washington got back-to-back singles from DeJong and Crews with one out in the fourth, but Houser struck out Robert Hassell III and Abrams around a walk to Wood.

Pereira hit his first major league home run leading off the fifth to increase the Rays' lead to 3-1.

Wood walked leading off the seventh against Garrett Cleavinger and went to third on Abrams single, but Cleavinger struck out Josh Bell, pinch hitter Andres Chaparro and Adams.

Chandler Simpson's two-out RBI single in the ninth made it 4-1.

--Field Level Media