Gonzalez roughed up in Nats' 6-1 loss

After quickly recording the first two outs, Gio Gonzalez labored through the remainder of the first inning. Gonzalez gave up a couple of walks and a base hit to load the bases before Danny Espinosa bailed him out of the jam. Rays first baseman Jake Elmore tapped a curveball back to Gonzalez, who fielded it well, then errantly threw to first base. Espinosa, making only his third career start at the position, calmly picked the one-hopper out of the dirt to close out the inning.

Gonzalez wasn't as lucky in the second, as Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier put on a show on the basepaths. With one out, Kiermaier hit what should have been a normal groundball single up the middle, but Denard Span took a casual approach to the ball and Kiermaier, running full-speed out of the box, took advantage and turned it into a double.

Kiermaier took third on his sixth stolen base of the season and scored moments later on a sacrifice fly to center off the bat of catcher Rene Rivera.

Three straight singles to start the third led to the Rays' second run. And after Gonzalez walked left fielder Brandon Guyer to load the bases, Elmore lifted a sacrifice fly to center, easily scoring third baseman Evan Longoria.

Michael A. Taylor limited the damage by robbing shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera of extra bases and RBIs when he climbed the wall in left to snatch a deep fly for the second out.

Span, Taylor and Anthony Rendon have the Nats' three hits through four innings.

Update: Nationals manager Matt Williams ended Gonzalez's night early after the left-hander allowed two more runs in the fourth.

Gonzalez surrendered five runs on eight hits with three walks, one hit batter and one strikeout in only 3 1/3 innings.

Right-hander Taylor Hill followed Gonzalez to the mound and promptly walked right fielder Steven Souza Jr. before retiring the final two batters of the inning.

The Nationals left the bases loaded in the fifth when Clint Robinson lined out for the third out. They have stranded nine runners tonight.

Update II: Kiermaier led off the fifth with a double and then scored on a triple from Guyer.

Update III: Hill gave the Nats a solid 3 2/3 innings, allowing one run on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

Newly acquired right-hander David Carpenter pitched his second scoreless frame with the Nats in the eighth.

Escobar roped an RBI single in the ninth to break up the shutout against former Nat Xavier Cedeno.

The Rays beat the Nationals 6-0.