Gabe Kapler's pinch homer in the eighth inning Friday lifted the Tampa Bay Rays to a 4-3 inter-league win over the Washington Nationals. Kapler, batting for Gabe Gross, hit his second homer this season to snap a 3-3 tie with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to cap Tampa Bay's comeback from a 3-0 first-inning deficit. Kapler got lucky after Washington first baseman Nick Johnson dropped his foul pop and he hit the next offering from losing pitcher Ron Villone (3-2) into the left center field seats. Dioner Navarro led Tampa Bay with two hits and one RBI.

The Washington Nationals fired pitching coach Randy St. Claire Tuesday and promoted Steve McCatty from Class AAA Syracuse to fill the post. St. Claire was in charge of a staff that has 13 blown saves and compiled a league-worst 5.69 earned-run average this season.

A $500 team fine against Washington outfielder Elijah Dukes will be paid from a fundraiser by the Great Falls (Va.) Little League, The Washington Post said. Dukes was fined and benched by Manager Manny Acta for being five minutes late to last Saturday's game against the Florida Marlins because he was signing autographs at a little league function the team sponsored. Dukes was told if he was late again, he would be optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. The next day we're reading the paper (and) … our first thought was we want to raise the money in the community to pay that fine, Leslie McClain, a mother of one of the little leaguers told the Washington Post.