ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Taj Bradley began June with the worst start of his big-league career. Sunday, he ended the month on a high note.

The Tampa Bay Rays right-hander struck out 11 and Isaac Paredes came a single shy of hitting for the cycle as the Rays shut out the Washington Nationals 5-0 in front of an announced crowd of 18,259 at Tropicana Field.

The Rays (42-42) are back at .500 for the 17th time this season and finish June with a winning record (14-12). They also clinched their fourth straight series, a season-high streak. It was the third time Rays pitchers have shut out an opponent this season.

Randy Arozarena added his 11th homer and Jose Caballero hit his fifth for the Rays.

Bradley scattered three hits to put up 5 2/3 scoreless innings. It was the third time this season and the fourth in his career that he has registered double-digit strikeouts. The right-hander generated 20 swing-and-misses Sunday, half coming on his four-seam fastball.

Over his last five starts, dating back to allowing a career-high nine runs on June 1, Bradley has a 1.26 ERA, compared to 5.81 in his first five starts of the season.

Paredes started the scoring with a home run in the second inning. He jumped on a first-pitch sinker and pulled it to left-center field for his 13th homer of the season. In the fourth, Paredes barely missed another homer with a fly ball to left field for his second career triple, his first with the Rays. In the sixth, Paredes led off with a double.

The infielder led off in the bottom of the eighth, but facing Tanner Rainey, he flew out to center field.

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