ST. PETERSBURG — It would have to take something really unusual or somewhat controversial to take away from the way the Rays played and —led by Nathan Eovaldi — pitched in beating the Nationals and ace Max Scherzer 1-0 Tuesday.
And the Rays came up with some of both in rolling to an impressive fifth straight win that, somehow, moved them back within a game of .500 at 39-40.
For odd, there were the Rays making shifting looking passe by moving reliever Jose Alvarado to first base for a batter in the ninth inning so he could return to the mound and face two more lefties.