Roark leaves with Fish flopping (Nats win 9-2)

By Josh Land

Nationals

September 07, 2013, 5:23pm

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Tanner Roark's first major league start will go down as one to remember. The rookie right-hander tossed six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and striking out four while walking none tonight at Marlins Park. With that, he lowered his ERA from 1.19 to 0.94. Is that good? Roark departs after 71 pitches with the Nationals leading 7-0. Ross Ohlendorf has taken over to start the seventh, looking to wrap up a lopsided victory and even the series in Miami. The Nats need this one to keep pace with Cincinnati, which beat the Dodgers in extra innings today. Update: Ohlendorf allowed two runs on three hits in the seventh to let the Marlins get on the board. Tyler Clippard followed with a 1-2-3 eighth to get the Nationals to the ninth ahead 7-2. Update II: Tyler Moore hit a two-out two-run single in the ninth to increase the Nats' lead to 9-2. And that's how it ended. Drew Storen finished off the victory with a scoreless ninth, as the Nats improved to 72-69 while remaining eight games behind the Reds in the wild card race.