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Phillies snap Nationals' eight-game win streak with 8-5 win in nightcap of doubleheader

Washington Nationals' right-hander Tanner Roark didn't last long in the second game of today's doubleheader in Citizens Bank Park. The Philadelphia Phillies jumped out to an 8-3 lead and held on for an 8-5 win.

By Patrick Reddington
Hunter Martin/Getty Images

5. Roark returns to rotation: Since he wasn't needed out of the bullpen in Game 1 of 2 today in Citizens Bank Park, Tanner Roark got the nod in the second half of the traditional doubleheader with the Philadelphia Phillies.

The 28-year-old, +3.2 fWAR, 15-game winner in 2014, took five turns in the rotation while Doug Fister was on the DL, going (3-0) with a 3.86 ERA, a 5.52 FIP, five walks (1.48 BB/9), 18 Ks (5.34 K/9) and a .239/.276/.453 line in 30 ⅓ IP.

"He just doesn't care. If it's an inning he's ready to pitch that inning, if it's three he's ready for that and if it's a start he's ready for that." -Matt Williams on Tanner Roark's adaptability

Nats' skipper Matt Williams talked last week about Roark's willingness to pitch in whatever role he's been asked to fill during his time in the majors.

"He just doesn't care," Williams told reporters in the nation's capital.

"If it's an inning he's ready to pitch that inning, if it's three he's ready for that and if it's a start he's ready for that.

"He enjoys the opportunity to pitch whenever it is and wherever it is, and he's proven that he can handle all of them. That's mentality more than anything, just not caring what the situation is and getting outs, that's how he views it."

Asked if there would be any restrictions for Roark today, Williams said no.

"None. He's been up to 100. He had essentially a heavy side in between pitching a couple innings and he's fully loaded and ready to go."

Roark found himself in a little bit of trouble early, but was able to work out of the jam.

Phillies' second baseman Cesar Hernandez singled and third baseman Maikel Franco reached on an error by Ian Desmond at short with one down in the home half of the first, but Roark popped Domonic Brown up to center for out no.2 and got a force at second on a Darin Ruf grounder for the third out of a scoreless 17-pitch frame.

Cody Asche singled to start the Philly half of the second, took third on a one-out double by Andres Blanco and scored on a weak grounder to first by the opposing pitcher, Severino Gonzalez, when Tyler Moore fielded it, but couldn't get it out of his glove in time to make a throw home. 1-0.

Odubel Herrera sent a grounder up the middle that Danny Espinosa got to, but Espinosa's throw to first bounced by Moore for a two-out RBI single that made it 2-0.

Cesar Hernandez sent a two-out single through the left side to put runners on first and third, and an infield single by Maikel Franco brought in the Phillies' third run of the game. Domonic Brown stepped in next and singled to center to bring in run no.4. Darin Ruf's flyout to center ended a 35-pitch frame, 52 total for Roark after two.

Cody Asche walked to start the bottom of the third, but after a line drive out to center off Carlos Ruiz's bat, Andres Blanco grounded into an inning-ending 4-6-3. 12-pitch frame, 64 total.

Severino Gonzalez singled to left for his first MLB hit in the first at bat of the Philly fourth and took second on a line drive to right by Odubel Herrera. Cesar Hernandez bunted both runners over/gave up an out, and Maikel Franco drove them both in with a single to center that made it 6-3 Phillies.

Philadelphia's eleventh and twelfth hits of the game off Roark followed, with the twelfth a run-scoring single to left by Darin Ruf that made it 7-3.

• Tanner Roark's Line: 3.1 IP, 12 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 1 BB, 0 Ks, 82 P, 56 S, 6/0 GO/FO.

4. Gonzalez vs the Nationals: Severino Gonzalez, 22, signed with the Philadelphia Phillies Phillies as an amateur free agent out of Santiago, Veraguas, Panama in 2011. He made his MLB debut on April 28th with a 2 ⅔-inning outing against the St. Louis Cardinals in Busch Stadium, giving up 10 hits, two walks and seven runs, all earned.

The righty made four more starts with the Phillies before he was optioned to Triple-A to make room on the roster for veteran right-hander Kevin Correia after Correia signed on June 8th.

In his five major league starts, Severino went (2-2) with an 8.96 ERA, a 3.66 FIP, four walks (1.83 BB/9) and 18 Ks (8.24 K/9) in 19 ⅔ innings pitched, over which opposing hitters had a .379/.426/.530 line against him.

No.10 prospect on Baseball America's list of the Phillies' Top 10 prospects before the 2014 campaign, Severino was (9-13) with a 4.59 ERA, a 4.60 FIP, 34 walks (1.93 BB/9) and 115 Ks (4.87 K/9) in 158 ⅔ IP at Double-A last year and (1-4) with a 4.06 ERA, 3.88 FIP, 11 walks (2.23 BB/9) and 24 Ks (4.87 K/9) in 44 ⅓ IP at Triple-A this season in eight starts, three before and five after his stint in the majors.

He took the mound against the Nationals for the first time this afternoon and threw a scoreless first, giving up a two-out walk to Yunel Escobar and a long fly ball by Clint Robinson that was just foul of a home run in a 19-pitch frame.

A 17-pitch, 1-2-3 second left Gonzalez at 36 total after two.

Matt den Dekker singled to start the third and took second on a sac bunt by Tanner Roark, but he was stranded on the basepaths as Gonzalez completed his third scoreless inning at 50 pitches after a 14-pitch frame.

Yunel Escobar doubled to right on a 1-1 sinker and scored from second on an RBI single to left by Clint Robinson, 4-1 Phillies. Ian Desmond battled for seven pitches in the next at bat and crushed a hanging curve, sending a no-doubter an estimated 453 ft to center and a row short of the concourse and Ashburn Alley.

4-3 Philly after Desmond's 7th. Jose Lobaton hit a ground ball back to the mound and off Severino for an infield single, but was stranded two outs later. 34-pitch frame, 84 total.

Given an 8-3 lead to work with, Gonzalez worked around a two-out error for a scoreless 21-pitch fifth. 105 total.

Jose Lobaton stepped in with one out and hit a solo blast into the second deck in right to end Gonzalez's night. 8-4.

• Severino Gonzalez's Line: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 Ks, 2 HRs, 114 P, 72 S, 6/0 GO/FO.

3. Random Game Notes: Philadelphia and Montreal played 36 "true" or traditional doubleheaders back in the day, but since the move to Washington in 2005, this will be the first twin bill between the Phillies and Nationals.

• In three starts for Triple-A Lehigh Valley after he was optioned to the Phillies' top minor league affiliate on June 7th, Severino Gonzalez was (0-2) with a 3.52 ERA in 15 ⅓ IP before he was called back to the majors today.

• When he made his major league debut on April 28th, Gonzalez and Philly catcher Carlos Ruiz became the first Panamanian battery in Phillies' history.

• The Nationals called infielder Wilmer Difo up as their 26th man for the second game of the doubleheader, while the Phillies called up starter Severino Gonzalez.

• Tanner Roark was making his sixth start of the season this afternoon. He was (3-0) in the previous five starts with a 3.86 ERA and a .239/.276/.453 line against in 30 ⅓ IP as a starter, and (0-2) with a 2.42 ERA and a .274/.311/.417 line against in 22 ⅓ IP out of the bullpen this season.

2. Turning Point(s): After Tanner Roark stranded two batters in the first, the Phillies made the Nationals' starter throw a total of 35 pitches in the second, connecting for five singles and a double and scoring four runs to take a 4-0 lead early in the second game of the doubleheader.

• Yunel Escobar, back in the lineup after leaving Friday's game early when he was hit by a pitch on the left hand, hit a double to right to start the fourth and scored from second when Clint Robinson singled to left off Phillies' starter Severino Gonzalez to make it a 4-1 game. Ian Desmond's two-run home run in the next at bat nearly cleared the stands in center, falling a few rows short of the concourse. 4-3.

• The Phillies' tenth hit off Tanner Roark this afternoon was a one-out, two-run single to center by Phillies' rookie Maikel Franco, who drove both Severino Gonzalez and Odubel Herrera in to make it a 6-3 game. 7-3 on an RBI single by Darin Ruf. 8-3 after four.

1. The Wrap-Up: Felipe Rivero gave up the Phillies' thirteenth hit of the game, loading the base up in front of Carlos Ruiz, who hit a sac fly to center to bring Domonic Brown in. 8-3.

Odubel Herrera and Cesar Hernandez hit back-to-back one-out singles off Rivero in the fifth, and moved up on a wild pitch/strike three to Maikel Franco. Domonic Brown's groundout to second ended a scoreless frame, however. Still 8-3 Phillies.

Jeanmar Gomez took over on the mound with one down in the Nationals' sixth and gave up a double by Tyler Moore in his first at bat. Wilmer Difo hit for Felipe Rivero, but K'd swinging to end the top of the sixth.

Blake Treinen threw a quick, 10-pitch, 1-2-3 sixth.

Elvis Araujo gave up a leadoff single by Michael Taylor in the top of the seventh. Taylor moved around to third on a wild pitch and one-out groundout, and scored on an RBI single by Clint Robinson. 8-5. Ken Giles came on in relief for Araujo and walked Ian Desmond to bring the tying run to the plate in the form of Jose Lobaton. But a groundout to short ended the threat.

Treinen retired the side in order in a seven-pitch seventh.

Giles retired the Nationals in order in the top of the eighth.

Casey Janssen worked around Cesar Hernandez's fourth hit of the game for a scoreless bottom of the eighth.

Jonathan Papelbon took the mound in the top of the ninth and retired the first two batters he faced before Yunel Escobar hit a two-out single. Clint Robinson came up next and sent fly to center that Odubel Herrera caught to end the game and the Nationals' eight-game win streak.

Nationals now 42-34

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