Rays overcome Archer's rough start, rally past Nationals

WASHINGTON -- Having won two of the first three games of the home-and-home, four-game series against the Washington Nationals, Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said he liked how things lined up for the finale with Chris Archer on the mound.

“Arch, go be yourself,” Cash said before the game.

Archer wasn’t himself, at least based on his recent performances, but he was able to keep the Rays in the game until the offense staged a sixth-inning comeback.

The result was a 5-3 victory at Nationals Park.

Archer, who entered the game 4-0 in his last seven starts, walked Nationals leadoff hitter Denard Span to begin the first inning.

That was the start of a 31-pitch inning where the Nationals scored…