Another attempt at a no-hitter Nick Perry Jersey , a reliever alternating between the mound and first base, and postgame pushing and shoving.
The Tampa Bay Rays pulled off an odd one for their fifth straight victory.
Nathan Eovaldi took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before an unusual combination of relievers in the ninth completed a three-hitter as the Rays beat Max Scherzer and the Washington Nationals 1-0 Tuesday.
Eovaldi (2-3) lost his no-hit bid when Bryce Harper hit an opposite-field double off the left-field wall with two outs in the sixth. The right-hander, who struck out nine, walked two and hit a batter over six innings, was making his sixth start since returning from a second Tommy John surgery in August 2016.
However, it was the ninth inning that stole the spotlight.
After Diego Castillo went two innings, lefty Jose Alvarado began the ninth by walking Harper before moving to first base when Chaz Roe relieved him. Roe struck out Anthony Rendon before Alvarado returned to the mound and gave up singles to lefties Juan Soto and Daniel Murphy that loaded the bases.
”We wanted to get our best matchups possible,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. ”The gamble, I guess, was hoping that nobody hit a ground ball to first.”
Sergio Romo replaced Alvarado and got his sixth save by getting Trea Turner to fly out and Michael A. Taylor to strike out.
”I was a little jealous that it wasn’t me going out and playing a position,” Romo said.
Alvarado declined to talk to reporters after the game.
There was a brief scrum near the mound after Taylor struck out when Romo exchanged words with the Washington outfielder, who had stolen second in the sixth inning of the Nationals’ 11-2 over Tampa Bay on June 6.
”I don’t disrespect anybody on that team other than the person that I felt disrespected me and my team Youth Logan Cooke Jersey ,” Romo said.
Said Taylor: ”I understand the situation. Obviously they think different but I’m not worried about that. The talking and things like that, I’m not big on drama.”
Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Romo’s unhappiness was misdirected.
”If he gets mad, he should get mad at me, but don’t show up one of our players,” Martinez said.
Tampa Bay’s Blake Snell took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of the Rays’ 11-0 rout of the Nationals on Monday night. Washington finished that game with two hits.
Scherzer (10-4) gave up one run, four hits, three walks and struck out four in seven innings for the Nationals, who have lost nine of 12. The three-time Cy Young Award winner has lost three straight decisions for the first time since August 2015.
The Rays took both games of the series with Washington on the heels of a three-game sweep last weekend over the New York Yankees, who have the best record in the majors.
Tampa Bay is 7-5 during a stretch of 16 games against the Yankees, Nationals and Houston Astros.
Tampa Bay went up 1-0 in the first when Kevin Kiermaier singled, advanced to third on Matt Duffy’s base hit during a 10-pitch at-bat and scored on Jake Bauers‘ grounder.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: RHP Jeremy Hellickson (strained right hamstring) had a 30-pitch bullpen session, which could the final step before rejoining the rotation.
Rays: RHP Chris Archer (left abdominal strain) remains on schedule for a three-inning simulated game Thursday and could be back around the All-Star break.
FUN TIMES
Rays OF Mallex Smith was doing a live TV interview wearing a buffalo hat – honoring teammate Wilson Ramos Youth Armani Watts Jersey , the leading vote-getter for AL All-Star starting catcher – when Tampa Bay OF Carlos Gomez got Smith in the face with a shaving cream pie.
MORE HIGH JINKS
As Harper walked to the plate in the first inning, Frank Sinatra’s ”New York, New York” played over the Tropicana Field sound system for the potential free agent after this season. In the sixth, the musical selection was Sinatra’s ”Chicago.”
UP NEXT
Nationals: Washington has not announced its rotation for a four-game series at Philadelphia that begins Thursday night.
Rays: RHP Ryne Stanek (1-1) wil start the first of a four-game set Thursday night with Houston.
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The Latest on the NFL playoffs on divisional weekend (all times EST):
9:45 p.m.
Tom Brady has his second touchdown pass of the game, connecting with Chris Hogan from 4 yards to give the Patriots a 21-7 lead with under two minutes left in the first half.
After punting on its first two possessions and falling behind 7-0, New England scored on three straight drives to pull away.
It’s the 21st time in his career that Brady has thrown for two or more TDs in a postseason game. That extends his own NFL record.
– Jimmy Golen reporting from Foxborough, Massachusetts.
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9:25 p.m.
James White has made it 14-7 for the Patriots with his second touchdown of the game.
White ran it in from 6 yards midway through the second quarter, carrying a tackler over the goal line just inside the pylon to give New England its first lead of the game.
White also scored early in the quarter on a 5-yard pass that was essentially a handoff.
White had three TDs in the Patriots’ previous playoff game – the victory over the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl. White had one TD receiving in that game and two running, including the game-winner in overtime.
– Jimmy Golen reporting from Foxborough, Massachusetts.
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9 p.m.
The Patriots have quickly tied their AFC divisional playoff game against the Tennessee Titans.
Tom Brady threw a short shuttle pass to James White, who ran it in from the 5-yard line to make it 7-7 early in the second quarter.
The Patriots appeared to have a touchdown three plays earlier, when Dion Lewis caught a pass from Brady and was tackled by Wesley Woodyard at the 19.
Lewis landed on top of the defender Youth Kalen Ballage Jersey , then got up and continued to the end zone.
The officials initially ruled that he had never been down and called it a touchdown. But replays showed Lewis’ butt hit the ground at the 19.
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8:50 p.m.
The Tennessee Titans have opened the scoring in their AFC divisional playoff game against the New England Patriots.
Corey Davis made a one-handed catch on a 15-yard pass from Marcus Mariota in the corner of the end zone to give the Titans a 7-0 lead with 1:14 left in the first quarter.
The Patriots were 13-point favorites at home. They punted on their first two offensive possessions.
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8:45 p.m.
Titans tackle Jack Conklin was slow to get up after a second down running play in the first quarter. Patriots lineman Malcom Brown appeared to roll on his leg. Conklin walked off to the locker room.
Conklin was a first-round pick the Titans acquired after trading away the No. 1 overall pick to the Rams in 2016. He was an All-Pro as a rookie in 2016.
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7:55 p.m.
Philadelphia’s defense staged a last-minute goal-line stand and Jake Elliott atoned for a missed extra point with three field goals as the Eagles beat the Atlanta Falcons 15-10 to move into the NFC championship game.
Despite being underdogs as the No. 1 seed, the Eagles (14-3) showed plenty of moxie in the tightest spots of the fourth quarter.
They stopped sixth-seeded Atlanta (11-7) after it got to the 9 with a first down, and then on fourth down from the 2 when Matt Ryan’s pass sailed over Julio Jones’ head in the end zone.
It was the first playoff win for Philadelphia since the 2008 season, and they will host either Minnesota or New Orleans for the conference title next Sunday.
The Falcons, who so memorably blew a 28-3 second-half lead in last year’s Super Bowl, won’t get a chance to atone for that defeat.
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7:20 p.m.
Jake Elliott kicked a 21-yard field goal to extend Philadelphia’s lead to 15-10 over the Falcons with 6:02 left in the fourth quarter.
Nick Foles completed a pair of third down passes to extend the drive and coach Doug Pederson called a timeout on fourth-and-1 from the 3 before electing to let Elliott kick the field goal.
– Rob Maaddi reporting in Philadelphia.
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6:55 p.m.
Jake Elliott kicked a 37-yard field goal to give the Eagles a 12-10 lead over the Falcons late in the third quarter.
Nick Foles completed three passes to Alshon Jeffery for 46 yards on the drive, including a 21-yard gain on third-and-8 to extend it.
– Rob Maaddi reporting in Philadelphia.
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6:10 p.m.
Philadelphia’s Jake Elliott kicked a 53-yard field goal at the end of the first half to cut Atlanta’s lead to 10-9.
Nick Foles completed a 15-yard pass to Alshon Jeffery with 1 second remaining to set up the field goal.
Elliott missed an extra point earlier in the quarter. The Falcons will receive the kickoff to start the third quarter.
– Rob Maaddi reporting in Philadelphia.
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5:45 p.m.
Matt Ryan tossed a 6-yard touchdown pass to Devonta Freeman to give the Atlanta Falcons a 10-6 lead over the Eagles with 5:41 left in the second quarter.
The Falcons took over at the Eagles 18 after a short punt hit a Philadelphia player in a crowd and was recovered by LaRoy Reynolds.
The Eagles then committed a pair of penalties to move the ball to the 8. On third down from the 6, Ryan escaped a sack, stepped up and tossed a pass to Freeman in the end zone.
– Rob Maaddi reporting in Philadelphia.
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5:25 p.m.
LeGarrette Blount ran in from the 1 on fourth down to give the Eagles a 6-3 lead early in the second quarter.
Wide receiver Nelson Agholor ran 21 yards on an inside counter on third-and-3 to the Falcons 3.