The game turned in a single swing. Washington had built a 2-0 lead through two and a half innings, and then Jonathan Aranda sent a 334-foot drive to left field that brought Feduccia and Díaz home with him. Three runs, one out, and Tampa Bay never looked back.
Aranda finished 1-for-4 with that home run and all three of Tampa Bay's RBI in the decisive frame. He carries a .275 average on the season with 12 home runs and 51 RBI. Griffin Jax earned the win, working 5.0 innings and allowing 2 runs on 4 hits with 5 strikeouts and no walks, carrying a 3.49 ERA. Bryan Baker closed it out with a scoreless ninth — his 19th save of the season — allowing no hits and striking out one on 13 pitches, with a 1.84 ERA.
Washington had looked sharp early. C. J. Abrams opened the scoring in the second with a 412-foot home run to center, his 15th of the year. Luis Garcia added another in the third, a 364-foot shot to left, pushing the lead to 2-0. That was the high-water mark for the Nationals. Aranda's answer came immediately in the home half of the third, and Tampa Bay added a run in the fourth when Palacios scored on a Taylor Walls single, then extended further in the eighth on a Jonny DeLuca solo home run to left.
Miles Mikolas absorbed the loss, falling to 2-6. He allowed 5 runs on 9 hits over 6.0 innings, with 2 strikeouts and 1 walk on 85 pitches. His ERA stands at 5.23.
Tampa Bay improved to 41-30, second in the division, snapping a three-game losing streak. Washington fell to 39-36, third in the division, dropping its second straight.