Hearing from Roark and Rendon after win over Astros

Hearing from Roark and Rendon after win over Astros
The Nationals had only one extra base hit against the Cardinals over the weekend. They lost all three games and managed three total runs. On Tuesday, the Nationals edged the Astros 6-5 thanks in a pair of doubles each from Ryan Zimmerman, and Anthony Rendon. The duo combined to go 4-for-8 with two runs, four doubles, a walk and five RBIs. Astros starter Dallas Keuchel (8-4) arrived in D.C. with an 8-3 record and was 6-0 on the road. He had won six of his last seven decisions. Rendon said...

Nats take early lead in first inning (Nats win 6-5)

Nats take early lead in first inning (Nats win 6-5)
Well, that didn't take long. After scoring a combined four runs over the last four games, the Nationals scored two runs in the first inning against Astros starter Dallas Keuchel. Anthony Rendon doubled home Denard Span to give the Nats a 1-0 lead. Two batters later, Ryan Zimmerman doubled home Rendon. Tanner Roark will certainly enjoy an early cushion. Update: Back-to-back RBI doubles from Zimmerman and Ian Desmond extended the Nats' lead to 4-0 in the third inning. Meanwhile, Roark...

Span back in Nats lineup vs. Astros

Span back in Nats lineup vs. Astros
As the Nationals play their first home game following a 10-game road trip, Denard Span returns to the lineup after sitting out Sunday's game with a tight back. Span will also be looking to get on track, as the Nats center fielder has gone 0-for-18 over his last five games. Tanner Roark will be on the mound opposite Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel, who is 6-1 with a 1.33 ERA over his last seven starts. Roark is seeking his sixth straight quality start and has a 1.93 ERA over his last seven...

Roark another example of Nationals system helping pitcher get better

Roark another example of Nationals system helping pitcher get better
Right-hander Tanner Roark has been a key to the Nationals rotation coming together as a consistent, cohesive unit. It is hard to believe Roark lost 17 games in 2012. He slowly but surely made progress and then in 2013, after going 9-3 with a 3.15 ERA for Triple-A Syracuse, got his chance with the Nationals. While with the Nationals, he went 7-1 with a 1.51 ERA in 14 games, five of those starts. This season he has already made 12 starts, going 4-4 with a 2.91 ERA. He has 101 strikeouts and...

Roark just keeps getting the job done

Roark just keeps getting the job done
SAN DIEGO - As pointed out by Nationals manager Matt Williams last night, right-hander Tanner Roark has now delivered nine quality starts in his 12 outings this season. A 75 percent quality start rate? Out of your No. 5 starter? Yeah, that'll do. Roark has worked into the seventh inning seven times in those 12 starts. He's allowed one earned run or fewer six times. He's struck out 61 and walked just 18 in 77 1/3 innings. His ERA on the season is down to 2.91 after last night's eight...

X-rays negative on Rendon's hand, plus more from Nats' 6-0 win

X-rays negative on Rendon's hand, plus more from Nats' 6-0 win
SAN DIEGO - First things first - before I pass along some postgame quotes from Matt Williams after tonight's 6-0 Nationals win, here's an update on Anthony Rendon, who left the game after the fifth inning. Rendon said that Carlos Quentin's ground ball in the fourth inning, which hit him in the right hand, caused the hand to go numb initially. Rendon left the game after the fifth inning, and got an X-ray here at Petco Park, which came back negative. At least for now, the Nats can breathe a...

Birthday blast for Rendon (Roark crafts a gem, Nats win 6-0)

Birthday blast for Rendon (Roark crafts a gem, Nats win 6-0)
Anthony Rendon gave the Nationals an early boost in San Diego by celebrating his 24th birthday in style. The third baseman absolutely crushed a two-run shot to left-center in one of baseball's biggest parks, giving the Nats a 2-0 lead with no outs in the first. Denard Span had drawn a leadoff walk from Padres right-hander Tyson Ross before scoring on Rendon's ninth homer. That continues a power surge for Rendon, who has now homered in four of the last six games, hitting four during that...

Zimmerman could return tomorrow, Roark continuing to make a statement

Zimmerman could return tomorrow, Roark continuing to make a statement
In case you missed it yesterday, Ryan Zimmerman played his second straight game in left field for Single-A Potomac, going 2-for-4 and playing seven innings in left. He got three chances in the field and had the opportunity to get in some work as a baserunner and test out his legs, going first to third on a ball. He also got caught in a rundown between third and home and slid back into the bag head-first, which, of course, is the way that he fractured his thumb in the first place. Manager Matt...

Span, LaRoche and Roark on the mastery of Darvish in 2-0 setback

Span, LaRoche and Roark on the mastery of Darvish in 2-0 setback
Nationals center fielder Denard Span went 2-for-4 against Rangers winning pitcher Yu Darvish Sunday. The rest of the team managed three hits. Texas ended up with the 2-0 shutout. Span believes Darvish's windup and delivery can mess up guys' rhythm in the box. "I think it just throws your timing off," Span said. "He has that long, dramatic leg kick. He pitches to both sides of the plate. He can throw the cutter back door, front door. Two-seamer same way. He has the devastating breaking...

Dual first-inning challenges go Nationals' way (Rangers win 2-0)

Dual first-inning challenges go Nationals' way (Rangers win 2-0)
The Nationals are seeking their first series sweep since April 30 at Houston, facing off against Yu Darvish and the Rangers on Sunday. Darvish has not pitched since May 22 at Detroit. He missed his last scheduled start against the Twins due to a stiff neck, but has gone at least seven innings in three consecutive starts. Washington's Tanner Roark is trying to break out of a two-game losing streak against the club that drafted him in 2008. The game started with some quick controversy on a pair...

Roark takes hill as Nats seek sweep of Rangers (updated)

Roark takes hill as Nats seek sweep of Rangers (updated)
The Nationals have scored 19 runs in the first two games of their series against the Rangers and send right-hander Tanner Roark to the mound in search of an interleague sweep this afternoon. But it won't be easy. Texas ace Yu Darvish is 4-2 with a 2.35 ERA and brings so many pitches to the table that it took Nats manager Matt Williams about 30 seconds to list all all of them in a press conference yesterday. Of course, Roark is pretty solid, too. The 3-3 record and 3.47 ERA may look pretty...

Hearing from LaRoche, Roark and Ramos after 3-2 setback

Hearing from LaRoche, Roark and Ramos after 3-2 setback
Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche played his first home game since coming off the disabled list and delivered a two-run homer to cut the Marlins' lead to 3-2. But the Nationals were unable to get anything else going and settled for three hits, leaving four men on base. "Feels great to be back, no doubt," LaRoche said. "I had to sit there and watch for two weeks. Great to come back, frustrating game today. I felt we didn't give ourselves a ton of opportunities. Not sloppy. We didn't...

Marlins get early 3-0 lead against Roark (Nats fall 3-2)

Marlins get early 3-0 lead against Roark (Nats fall 3-2)
The Nationals begin a nine-game home stand with a Memorial Day matinee against the division rival Miami Marlins, and are in the midst of a stretch of 15 of 19 at home. So far, they are just 4-6 in this stretch. The Marlins come into the series in second place in the National League East, three games back of the Braves. The Nationals, despite losing three of their last four games, are 3 1/2 games off the pace. But Miami has struggled on the road. The Marlins are 6-17 on the road, worst on the...

Marlins-Nats lineups for series opener vs. Marlins

Marlins-Nats lineups for series opener vs. Marlins
The Nationals hope to build off yesterday's win in Pittsburgh now that they're back home, and they'll send Tanner Roark to the mound in this afternoon's Memorial Day contest. The Nats welcome the Marlins to town, who are handing the ball to righty Nathan Eovaldi. For the MarlinsLF Christian Yelich2B Derek Dietrich RF Giancarlo Stanton 3B Casey McGehee 1B Garrett Jones C Jarrod Saltalamacchia CF Pablo Ozuna SS Adeiny Hechavarria RHP Nathan Eovaldi For the Nats CF Denard Span 3B Anthony...

Span on his first home run of season and loss to Reds

Span on his first home run of season and loss to Reds
Nationals center fielder Denard Span had himself a series. He finished the three games with nine hits against the Reds, including a 5-for-5 performance Tuesday and a leadoff solo shot Wednesday. It was his first homer of the season. The home run off of Reds starter Alfredo Simon gave the Nationals a 1-0 lead. Unfortunately, they could not muster much else offensively, leaving two men on only one time. That chance arrived in the second inning, when Ian Desmond and Tyler Moore led off with...

Williams on Roark, Simon, Treinen and homestand

Williams on Roark, Simon, Treinen and homestand
After the 2-1 loss to the Reds on Wednesday night, Nationals manager Matt Williams addressed the media and announced that Blake Treinen will be called up from Triple-A Syracuse for Thursday's opener at Pittsburgh. Right-hander Ryan Mattheus will be sent back to Syracuse to make room for Treinen on the 25-man roster. Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche confirmed he will play in a rehab game for high Single-A Potomac on Thursday night in Woodbridge, Va., as he recovers from a right quad...

Span picks up where he left off in series finale (Reds win 2-1)

Span picks up where he left off in series finale (Reds win 2-1)
"I had a good day," Nationals center fielder Denard Span said Tuesday night. "Today was my day. I saw the ball good, and got to do it again tomorrow." Wednesday arrived and he did it again. Fresh off a career-high-matching 5-for-5 performance in Tuesday's 9-4 Nationals win over the Reds, Span launched the second pitch from Reds right-hander Alfredo Simon into the Nationals bullpen in right field, and the Nationals lead 1-0. Span now has eight hits in the series. Right-hander Tanner...

Rendon gets day off for series finale (with Reds lineup)

Rendon gets day off for series finale (with Reds lineup)
The Nationals are going for the series win against the Reds this afternoon in D.C., but Anthony Rendon will be on the bench for the finale, getting a day off. With Ryan Zimmerman on the disabled list, Rendon has become the Nats' everyday third baseman. Kevin Frandsen will get the start at third today. Right-hander Tanner Roark will take the mound this afternoon, looking to earn his fourth win of the season. The Nats will face veteran Alfredo Simon, who's 5-2 on the season, with a 2.45...

Marty Niland: With rotation dinged again, Nats need quality starts - and good luck

Marty Niland: With rotation dinged again, Nats need quality starts - and good luck
Another week, another key injury for the Nationals. This time it's Gio Gonzalez, who landed on the disabled list of for the first time in his seven-year career after being knocked around for a second straight start. If you're keeping score at home, that makes eight members of the opening day roster who have been sidelined at some point this season, including two from the starting rotation. The prognosis for Gonzalez seems good, but there is still some cause for concern because once again, the...

Lineups for Friday's Mets-Nationals opener

Lineups for Friday's Mets-Nationals opener
With left-hander Jonathon Neise on the mound for the Mets, Scott Hairston will return to left field for tonight's opener of a three-game series at Nationals Park. Right-hander Tanner Roark starts for the Nationals in the 7:05 p.m. For the Mets LF Eric Young Jr.2B Daniel Murphy3B David WrightCF Curtis GrandersonRF Bobby Abreu1B Lucas DudaC Anthony ReckerSS Ruben TejadaLHP Jonathon Niese For the Nationals CF Denard Span3B Anthony RendonRF Jayson WerthC Wilson RamosSS Ian DesmondLF Scott...