Philadelphia Phillies vs Tampa Bay Rays Box Score on Jul 04, 2023

Aaron Nola outdueled former Philadelphia teammate Zach Eflin to lead the Phillies to their first win over Tampa Bay in the past eight meetings, beating the Rays 3-1 on Tuesday in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Over 7 1/3 innings, Nola (8-5) allowed a solo home run and four singles to the American League East-leading Rays, striking out a season-high-tying 12 and walking one.

Bryce Harper and Bryson Stott each went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run as Philadelphia topped the Rays for the first time since April 15, 2018.

Making his first career start against the Phillies after playing for them for seven seasons, Eflin (9-4) allowed two runs on four hits over seven innings. However, the right-hander lost for the first time at home after earning the win in his first eight starts inside the dome.

The right-hander fanned nine without a walk and matched his season high in pitches with 102.

Wander Franco was 2-for-4 with a homer and a stolen base. Sidelined since playing in Boston on June 3, Brandon Lowe returned from a back problem to play second base and go 1-for-4 with three strikeouts.

The Rays lost their third consecutive game for just the second time.

Philadelphia produced consecutive two-out doubles in the second to take a 1-0 lead in the teams' first meeting since Aug. 25, 2021.

The second two-bagger, a lash to left-center by Alec Bohm, scored Stott and staked Nola to an early lead.

Nola and Eflin -- good friends over seven seasons playing with the Phillies beginning in 2016 -- controlled the contest in a tightly pitched battle.

Franco led off the sixth with a single and stole second before Randy Arozarena beat out an infield hit with one out. But Nola induced a popout from Isaac Paredes and struck out Lowe to get out of the jam.

The Phillies got to Eflin again in the seventh after Harper hit a one-out double. Following Franco's seventh error of the year on a grounder by J.T. Realmuto, Stott made it 2-0 with a single.

In the eighth against Jalen Beeks, Harper drove a two-out single off the right-field wall that plated Kyle Schwarber with an insurance marker.

Batting left-handed in the home half of the eighth, Franco chased Nola by bouncing his 10th homer off the top of the left-field wall and into the stands.

Closer Craig Kimbrel recorded his 13th save and 407th of his career by striking out two in a perfect ninth.

--Field Level Media