Tanner Roark leads Washington Nationals to 6-4 win over Miami Marlins, 2-0 start to 2017

Tanner Roark struggled at the start of his 2017 debut tonight in the nation’s capital, giving up two singles, two walks, two HBPs and two runs in the first two innings on the mound, but he went on to retire 15 of the last 17 batters he faced in a six-inning, 97-pitch outing in what ended up a 6-4 win for the Washington Nationals in the second of three with the Miami Marlins in D.C.

Ryan Zimmerman (solo HR), Bryce Harper (RBI double in the 4th; RBI single in the 5th), Daniel Murphy and Matt Wieters (one RBI single each) provided the offense and the Nationals took the second straight from the Fish in the season-opening series.

Here’s how it happened:

• Tanner Roark gave up two walks, two singles and two earned runs in a 29-pitch top of the first, with Marcell Ozuna driving in both runs with a two-out hit before Justin Bour, who walked, got tagged out on the basepaths to end the threat. Costly #TOOTBLAN.

• Roark hit two batters in the second and uncorked a wild pitch, putting runners on second and third with two down, but stranded them both to keep it 2-0 Fish.

• #TKCHZ!!: Ryan Zimmerman got all of a 93 mph 1-2 fastball outside from Marlins’ starter Dan Straily and hit it out the other way, over the out-of-town scoreboard for a solo blast that cut the Fish lead in half, 2-1 in the 2nd. Zim’s first of 2017. Say it with me, “#LaunchAngle”!

• Roark was up to seven-straight Marlins’ set down after he retired the side in order in a 14-pitch fourth that left him at 72 pitches total after four.

• Adam Eaton didn’t walk once in 24 games this Spring, but he took his third walk in two games to lead off the Nationals’ half of the fourth, and scored from first when Bryce Harper lined a 92 mph 2-2 fastball to right for a scorched double, 2-2.

Harper scored from second on a Daniel Murphy liner to center in the next at bat, 3-2.

Ryan Zimmerman walked and Jayson Werth hit a one-out pop to center that should have been out No. 2, but Dee Gordon and Christian Yelich converged and let it drop allowing the Nationals to load the bases for Matt Wieters, who worked the count full and beat the shift with a grounder through the left side of the infield that scored two more, 5-2. That was it for Straily.

• Dan Straily’s Line: 3.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 HR, 67 P, 40 S, 4/3 GO/FO.

• Adam Eaton doubled (No. 2) on a line drive to left to lead off the Nationals’ fifth, going the other way with a 2-2 changeup from Marlins’ righty Nick Wittgren, and scored when Bryce Harper lined a 1-1 change back up the middle, 6-2.

• Tanner Roark was done for the night after retiring the Marlins in order in the sixth, having set down 15 of the last 17 batters he faced in a 97-pitch outing.

• Tanner Roark’s Line: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 Ks, 97 P, 57 S, 7/2 GO/FO.

• Enny Romero made his Nationals debut in the top of the seventh, hitting the first batter he faced (Derek Dietrich, who was not amused) and giving up a single by Adeiny Hechavarria, but he got a 6-3 DP out of pinch hitter Miguel Rojas and struck out Dee Gordon to end an 11-pitch inning.

• Romero came back out for the top of the eighth and gave up a home run to left by J.T. Realmuto, 6-3. A single to center by Christian Yelich ended Romero’s night.

• Joe Blanton came on for Romero with a runner on and no one out and retired the first two batters he faced, but a two-out single by Marcell Ozuna had Dusty Baker going to the pen again for Oliver Perez, who got a groundout to second from Dietrich to end the threat. Still 6-3 Nationals.

• Matt Wieters was 3 for 3 with a double and a walk after he bounced a two-out, two-base hit off the out-of-town scoreboard in the eighth.

• Blake Treinen came on with a three-run lead in the ninth and earned his second save, after giving up back-to-back, two-out singles that drove in the Marlins’ 4th run.

Nationals 6-4 final.

Nationals now 2-0

NATIONALS PREGAME NOTES:

• Bryce Harper’s homer in the season opener gave him five Opening Day home runs in his career, two in 2013, and one each in 2015, 2016 and 2017, tying the record for the most HRs in a player’s first five career Opening Day games.
• Adam Lind’s pinch hit home run in his first at bat with the Nationals was the sixth of his career, tying him for 4th place in pinch hit homers among all active MLBers.
• With Stephen Strasburg’s win in the season opener, he tied Jordan Zimmermann for first on the Nationals’ all-time wins list (2005-present).
• The Nationals play 18 of their first 25 games against NL East opponents, after going 51-25 against their divisional foes last season.
• In today’s “Fun With Arbitrary End Points” update: Washington trails Miami in the all-time series between the two teams 116-104 after Monday’s win, but the Nationals are 48-29 against the Marlins... since 2013.
• Tanner Roark set career marks in innings pitched (210) and wins (16) last season.
• Roark was (2-4) with a 4.46 ERA, 17 walks, 26 Ks and a .265/.355/.382 line against in 34 ¹⁄₃ innings pitched against the Marlins in 2016.

Nationals now 2-0.