Washington Nationals 8-0 over Philadelphia Phillies: Tanner Roark with seven scoreless

Tanner Roark's three-inning outing last time he took the mound was his shortest of the season after his four-inning start in the home opener on April 7th.

Roark gave up seven hits and five runs in those three innings against the Cincinnati Reds in Great American Ball Park before he was lifted from what ended up a 10-9 win for Washington in which he received no decision.

This afternoon, he was facing the Philadelphia Phillies for the third time this season, after going (1-0) with a 1.29 ERA and a .133/.204/.200 line against over 14 innings in the previous two starts.

Roark earned his second win of the season against the Nationals' divisional rivals and his fifth overall (W, 5-4) with a solid, seven scoreless inning outing in which he threw 105 pitches, walking just one, striking out seven in a 7-0 win.

Roark escaped an early jam in the top of the second, striking out the side after a single and a double put runners on second and third with no one out, and the Nationals gave their starter a lead to work with in the bottom of the frame.

Stephen Drew drove Wilson Ramos in from third with a one-out RBI single to right after Ramos reached on a HBP, 1-0.

Roark did his part too, dropping a safety squeeze down the first base line to bring Anthony Rendon in from third for a 2-0 lead after Rendon grounded into a force at second and went first-to-third on Drew's hit.

Drew scored on an RBI line drive to left by Michael A. Taylor, and Roark came around on a grounder up the middle off Bryce Harper's bat, 4-0 Nationals after two.

Rendon drove in two runs in the bottom of the fifth, after Roark retired the Phillies in order in his fifth scoreless frame, 6-0, and Rendon scored on a sac fly to short right by Drew to make 7-0 Nationals after five.

Tanner Roark's Line: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 Ks, 105 P, 68 S, 4/5 GO/FO.

Sammy Solis tossed a scoreless top of the eighth before the Nationals added to their lead with Chris Heisey doubling and scoring on an RBI single to center by Ben Revere. 8-0. Blake Treinen tossed a scoreless ninth to end it.

Ballgame. 8-0 final.

Nationals now. 38-24

NATS NOTES:

• Tommy Joseph's two-home run game last night was his first career multi-home run game and it made him the first Phillie in over 100 years to hit seven or more home runs in his first 21 career games according to STATS LLC.
• Joseph had hits in 14 of 16 starts this season after last night's game, going 21 for 61 (.344 AVG) with two doubles, seven home runs and nine runs scored in those sixteen.
• Phillies' starter Aaron Nola took the mound this afternoon with a streak of nine consecutive quality starts, the longest streak by a Philly pitcher since Cole Hamel put together 10-straight in 2013.
• Nola did, however, have a 4.82 ERA in five career starts against the Nationals vs his 2.75 ERA vs all the other opponents he's faced.
• Wilson Ramos and Stephen Drew hit back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning of yesterday's series opener with the Phillies. It was the eighth time this season the Nationals have gone back-to-back and the third time Drew has hit one of the two.
• Ramos entered the second game of three with the Phillies with an eight-game hitting streak going, over which he'd gone 12 for 27 (.444 AVG) with two doubles, three home runs, four walks and eight runs scored
• Among major league catchers with a minimum of 180 plate appearances this season, Ramos has the highest average (.345), the highest OBP (.395) and the highest SLG (.567) with the fewest strikeouts (21).
• Danny Espinosa got the afternoon off today, but he's homered in seven of his last fourteen games after last night's solo shot.
• With three home runs last night the Nationals now lead the National League with 85 total on the season.

Nationals now 38-24