ST. PETERSBURG – Pinch hitter Willy Aybar got a lucky bounce, doubling off the third base bag in the eighth inning and the Tampa Bay Rays completed a sweep of the lowly Washington Nationals with a 5-4 victory on Sunday.
Carlos Pena opened the eighth with a double off Ron Villone (3-3). After Ben Zobrist struck out, Aybar hit a ball down the line that hit third base and angled away from third baseman Willie Harris into left field for a run-scoring double.
Gabe Kapler added a homer and three RBIs for Tampa Bay. Dan Wheeler (2-1) worked a perfect eighth and J.P. Howell pitched the ninth for his third save. More – TBO.com
