Tanner Roark used his changeup effectively to keep Nationals in game vs. Orioles

Nationals right-hander Tanner Roark was able to keep his team in the game Thursday. He allowed only three runs over five innings and left with his team down 3-0.

The Nationals rallied in the bottom of the fifth with two runs and then added two more runs in seventh inning to take a short-lived 4-3 advantage. The Orioles won the game 5-4 on a Matt Wieters two-run shot off of Blake Treinen in the eighth.

"Felt good. A lot of my pitches were working today," Roark said. "I utilized the changeup a lot more this outing. Felt good."

Roark scattered five hits in allowing the three runs with two walks and one strikeout. It was the third time in his last four starts he had allowed three runs or less. It was also the sixth time in his 10 starts this season he had surrendered less than four runs.

Shortstop Ian Desmond, who struggled to an 0-for-4, took note of the way Roark battled after giving up two base hits to begin the game.

"The guy's a grinder for sure," Desmond said. "He, like you said, made a couple mistakes, but at the same time, he made some really effective pitches, too. I expect him to bounce back."

The Orioles scored a run to begin the game on a leadoff double by Gerardo Parra and a RBI knock from Manny Machado. Roark said he had wanted to locate his pitches better to begin the game.

"I tried to go inside on Parra on the 0-1 fastball and it was right down the middle," Roark said. "3-2, the fastball to Machado. I'm not gonna walk him. I felt just challenge him and then I made the adjustment. I just kept fighting, battling and executing the pitches."

He kept the Orioles off the board until the fourth when Jonathan Schoop, who had a walk-off homer against Roark in Baltimore back in July, crushed a two-run shot to give the Birds a 3-0 lead.

"It was outside corner just up a little bit," Roark said. "If I had a hat on, I'd tip my cap to him, just like the home run in Baltimore. But a home run is a home run."

In a series the Nationals had to have, they were swept by the Orioles. In Wednesday's game, the Nationals led 3-2 after six innings. On Thursday, the Nationals again were up 4-3 heading to the eighth. They ended up losing both games.

"It was a tough series, but we're not out of it yet," Roark said. "So we just gotta move on and keep fighting and scratching and clawing any way possible."