Nationals aim to end 7-game slide, take on the Rays

By Canadian Press on August 31, 2025.

Tampa Bay Rays (66-69, fourth in the AL East) vs. Washington Nationals (53-82, fifth in the NL East)

Washington; Sunday, 1:35 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Rays: Ian Seymour (2-0, 3.18 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 34 strikeouts); Nationals: Brad Lord (4-7, 3.84 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 82 strikeouts)

BOTTOM LINE: The Washington Nationals play the Tampa Bay Rays as losers of seven games in a row.

Washington has a 53-82 record overall and a 26-41 record in home games. The Nationals have gone 24-65 in games when they have given up at least one home run.

Tampa Bay has a 66-69 record overall and a 32-36 record in road games. The Rays are 10th in the AL with 153 total home runs, averaging 1.1 per game.

Sunday’s game is the third time these teams square off this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: C.J. Abrams has 28 doubles, five triples and 17 home runs for the Nationals. James Wood is 12 for 38 with four doubles, a home run and four RBIs over the past 10 games.

Junior Caminero has 22 doubles and 39 home runs while hitting .256 for the Rays. Brandon Lowe is 6 for 34 with three home runs over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Nationals: 3-7, .240 batting average, 5.51 ERA, outscored by 19 runs

Rays: 5-5, .251 batting average, 3.89 ERA, outscored opponents by five runs

INJURIES: Nationals: MacKenzie Gore: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Drew Millas: 10-Day IL (finger), Trevor Williams: 60-Day IL (elbow), Keibert Ruiz: 7-Day IL (concussion), Derek Law: 60-Day IL (forearm), DJ Herz: 60-Day IL (elbow), Josiah Gray: 60-Day IL (elbow)

Rays: Stuart Fairchild: 60-Day IL (oblique), Ha-Seong Kim: 10-Day IL (back), Taylor Walls: 10-Day IL (groin), Jonny Deluca: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Jonathan Aranda: 10-Day IL (wrist), Manuel Rodriguez: 60-Day IL (forearm), Hunter Bigge: 60-Day IL (lat), Richie Palacios: 60-Day IL (knee), Shane McClanahan: 60-Day IL (tricep), Alex Faedo: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Nathan Lavender: 60-Day IL (elbow)

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

The Associated Press