Washington Nationals 3-0 over San Francisco Giants: Bryce Harper and Hunter Strickland brawl in AT&T Park...

Tanner Roark tossed seven scoreless on 112 pitches and Ryan Zimmerman homered (for the first time in 18 games) in the second and scored another run on an RBI double by Daniel Murphy in the top of the sixth, in what ended up 3-0 Washington Nationals’ win over the Giants in San Francisco’s AT&T Park.

Roark worked around six hits, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch in his time on the mound to keep the Giants off the board through seven.

It got ugly in the eighth, however, when Bryce Harper (who was 2 for 2 with two home runs off Giants’ righty Hunter Strickland in the 2014 postseason) took a 98 mph heater from Strickland off the front hip and charged the mound, tossing his helmet and then fists at the reliever before full-on brawl ensued with both teams flooding the field.

Daniel Murphy drove in Harper’s pinch runner after the brawl, 3-0, and the Nats took the first of three in AT&T.

Nationals now 31-19

HERE’S HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Ryan Zimmerman hadn’t homered since May 6th, a span of 18 games and 69 plate appearances, before he stepped in against Giants’ lefty Matt Moore in the second and hit a 90 mph 0-1 fastball out to center field to put the Nationals up, 1-0 early in AT&T. No. 14 of 2017 for Zimmerman.

• Giants’ third baseman Christian Arroyo was hitless in his last 21 at bats before he sent a ground ball to third that bounced off the bag and shot into left for a leadoff double in the home-half of the third, but he was stranded at second three outs later as Tanner Roark completed his third scoreless frame at 49 pitches.

• Matt Wieters caught both Justin Ruggiano and Brandon Belt attempting to steal second base, erasing two of the four baserunners to reach against Nationals’ right-hander Tanner Roark through four scoreless frames against the Giants.

They were the 6th and 7th runners Wieters has thrown out in 25 attempts this season.

• Ryan Zimmerman was 2 for 3 on the afternoon after he lined a two-out single over third baseman Christian Arroyo’s outstretched glove in the Nationals’ half of the sixth, and Zimmerman scored the Nats’ second run of the game on RBI double to right field by Daniel Murphy (double No. 14), 2-0.

• Roark surrendered back-to-back, two-out singles by Brandon Belt and Buster Posey in the bottom of the sixth, but stranded both runners to complete his sixth scoreless on 92 pitches. Still 2-0 Nationals.

• Tanner Roark’s 103rd pitch of the game caught Christian Arroyo on the jersey, putting a runner on with one out in the Giants’ seventh, but he threw a 2-2 slider by one-time National Michael Morse for out No. 2 and got pinch hitter Aaron Hill to pop up to short right to end a 20-pitch frame and his seventh scoreless inning.

• Matt Moore’s Line: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 Ks, 1 HR, 99 P, 73 S, 6/4 GO/FO.

• Tanner Roark’s Line: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 Ks, 112 P, 71 S, 5/5 GO/FO.

• Bryce Harper stepped in against his old nemesis Hunter Strickland with two out in the eighth and took a 98 mph fastball off the front hip and Harper lost it, charging the mound, throwing his helmet at the Giants’ pitcher and then throwing punches, with a full-on brawl ensuing as both benches emptied onto the field for an ugly melee.

• Daniel Murphy drove in another run after the field was cleared, singling off George Kontos to drive Harper’s pinch runner, Brian Goodwin, in for a 3-0 lead.

• The Giants loaded the bases in the eighth with a walk off Oliver Perez and back-to-back, two-out singles off Shawn Kelley, but Justin Ruggiano sent a fly to Jayson Werth in left to end the threat. Still 3-0 Nationals.

• Koda Glover came on in the ninth and retired the side in order. Ballgame. 3-0 Nats.

NATIONALS PREGAME NOTES:

• In today’s Washington-themed “Fun with Arbitrary End Points” update: The Nationals are 40-38 against San Francisco in the all-time series between the two teams and 20-13 against the Giants... since 2012.
• Washington’s offense started the day leading the majors in runs scored (274), home runs (75), AVG (.274), OBP (.344), SLG (.473), extra base hits (173) and RBIs (265).
• Giants’ pitchers started the series with a 2.95 ERA in AT&T Park, the second-best home ERA in the majors, behind only the LA Dodgers’ 2.85 ERA in Dodger Stadium.
• Trea Turner started the day with a six-game on-base streak going, and he’s coming off an 8 for 25 homestand (.320 AVG) in which he hit a double, triple and home run.
• Washington started the day as the only team in the NL with three players in the Top 14 in batting average (Ryan Zimmerman, Bryce Harper, and Daniel Murphy).
• Since taking over in center following Adam Eaton’s injury, Michael A. Taylor was 29 for 96 (.302 AVG) heading into this week’s three-game set in AT&T Park.
• Tanner Roark started the day (5-0) with a 2.51 ERA in five career starts against the Giants after posting a 0.64 ERA in 14 IP vs SF last season.
• Giants’ catcher Buster Posey started the day 5 for 14 (.357 AVG) vs Roark, with three doubles off the Nats’ starter.
• Hunter Strickland is a punk.
• Dusty Baker was 840-715 as the Giants’ manager (1993-2002).

Nationals now 31-19