Washington Nationals 4-0 over Philadelphia Phillies: Tanner Roark tosses seven scoreless

Looking to bounce back from a less-than-stellar outing against the Baltimore Orioles last week in Washington, D.C., Tanner Roark took the mound tonight in Citizens Bank Park with a 2-0 lead (courtesy of a solo home run by Jayson Werth and the RBI single Anthony Rendon hit two batters after Werth’s blast in the top of the first), and tossed seven scoreless on 100 pitches in what ended up a 4-0 Nationals’ win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Tanner Roark’s Line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 Ks, 100 P, 63 S, 7/6 GO/FO.

Here’s how it happened:

Jayson Werth hit a 2-1 slider from Jake Thompson an estimated 385 feet to the left field seats in Citizens Bank Park for a one-out solo home run that put the Nationals ahead early in the series opener in the Phillies’ home. Werth’s 19th. 1-0.

Bryce Harper walked with two down in the first, and scored on an RBI single to center field by Anthony Rendon, who lined a 3-2 fastball back up the middle to make it a 2-0 game early.

Tanner Roark tossed five scoreless on 76 pitches, limiting the Phillies to three hits, a walk and a HBP.

Daniel Murphy was 2 for 3 on the night in CBP, with 51 multi-hit games on the season, after he singled for the second time tonight in the sixth, but Thompson, who put up a 9.78 ERA over his first four major league starts, stranded Murphy in his fifth scoreless frame... after the two-run inning that started the game.

Roark was up to 89 pitches after he worked around a leadoff hit in the Phillies’ sixth, and 100 pitches even after he retired the Phils in order in an 11-pitch seventh.

Jake Thompson’s Line: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 Ks, 1 HR, 111 P, 64 S, 5/7 GO/FO.

Tanner Roark’s Line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 Ks, 100 P, 63 S, 7/6 GO/FO.

Marc Rzepczynski took over on the mound for the Nationals, after Michael Mariot’s scoreless top of the eighth, and tossed a 16-pitch, 1-2-3 eighth.

Anthony Rendon reached base on a wild pitch/strike three, moved around to third on an errant pick attempt (after he was awarded third when Dusty Baker challenged the original call, which put Rendon on second) and scored on an RBI single to right by Clint Robinson to make it 3-0 Nationals in the top of the ninth.

Trea Turner added a two-out RBI single to give the Nationals a 4-0 lead after eight and a half.

Mark Melancon came on in a non-save situation and finished the Phillies off. Ballgame. 4-0 final in Citizens Bank.

Nationals now 76-55

NATS NOTES:

• Washington starts their three-game series in Philadelphia with a 75-55 record, good for second-best in the NL, behind only the Chicago Cubs (82-47).
• The Nationals’ +135 run differential is also the second-best in the majors, behind only, again, the Cubs (+217).
• Through 12 games with Philadelphia this season, Washington holds an 8-4 advantage, with the Nationals 5-1 in Citizens Bank Park.
• The Phillies have dropped six straight to the Nationals this season, their longest active losing streak against any NL team.
• Washington’s outscored Philadelphia 38-16 in those six games and Phillies’ pitchers have a 6.62 ERA over that stretch, while their hitters have a combined .189 AVG (36 for 190).
• The Nationals have also won three straight in Citizens Bank Park over that stretch and they’ve also won 8 of the last 9 and 11 of 13 in CBP going back to April 12th of last season.
• In today’s Nationals-themed “Fun with Arbitrary End Points” segment: Washington is 59-46 against Philadelphia... since 2011, after going 39-71 against their divisional rivals between 2005-2010.
• In today’s Phillies-themed “Fun with Arbitrary End Points” segment: Philly shortstop Freddy Galvis has posted a .614 SLG ... over the last 20 games, the highest slugging percentage in the majors over that stretch.
• Trea Turner has reached base safely in 18-straight games, with hits in 16 of the 18 over which he’s 34 for 83 (.410 AVG) with five doubles, two triples, three home runs, nine steals and 21 runs scored.
• Daniel Murphy started the night in CBP leading the NL in SLG (.607), OPS (.994), extra base hits (tied, 67), doubles (tied, 37) and multi-hit games (50).

Nationals now 76-55