Nationals hitters appreciate stretch of deep starts by pitchers

Deep starts are especially welcome over the course of a long season because they keep relievers fresh and allow manager Dusty Baker to set up his bullpen for maximum effect. When starting pitchers work into the sixth and seventh innings - or beyond - Baker is able to play the match-up game with his bullpen arms and take some of the pressure off rookie closer Koda Glover.

But the recent run of strong starting performances has had another effect. In addition to creating a pass-the-baton scenario for the guys on the mound, who want to meet the level set by their predecessors and keep a good thing going, the workmanlike efforts by the starting pitchers have given Nationals hitters the ability to breathe and do their thing.

"It frees you up," said catcher Matt Wieters. "It seems like most games - almost every game - it frees you up where you feel like you can have the whole game to get it rolling. We always want to jump out on top and give them the lead, but at the same time, we know that they're going to be able to hold the other team down to the best of their ability. We can be patient and pick our spots when we can drive in some runs. I honestly think we've had that success early on because you have that freedom of knowing that ... our starting pitcher goes out there and gives us a chance to win the game. That's all you can ask for."

Then there's the starting staff's penchant to working with a lead by going out and shutting down the opposition. It's one thing to work quickly, it's another not to let the other team feel like it has the ability to erase a deficit.

"Whenever we're able to score, they're immediately able to get us back in the dugout and help us continue that momentum," said second baseman Daniel Murphy. "Their run prevention has been unbelievable, especially since this last road trip. It's been fun to watch. They've been really good."

On the heels of seven innings of three-hit ball with 14 strikeouts by Max Scherzer in a 2-1 triumph against the Dodgers on Tuesday and six strong innings of three-hit ball with eight strikeouts by Stephen Strasburg in a 2-1 loss a day later, Joe Ross turned in his strongest start of the season in Thursday's 6-1 shellacking of the Orioles. Ross allowed a run on four hits over 7 1/3 innings, striking out a career-high 12 on an efficient 93 pitches.

Now the baton gets passed to right-hander Tanner Roark, who starts tonight in the opener of a three-game interleague series against the Rangers.

Roark has won his last three starts after a stretch where he went 0-2 over four starts. In each of his last three outings, Roark has worked at least seven innings, something he did only once in his previous nine 2017 starts.

Baker thinks he knows why it's taken Roark a while find his rhythm.

"I think he was a little bit behind from the (World Baseball Classic)," Baker said. "He had his strength and endurance was good, but his sharpness wasn't. He had a lot of deep counts. He was only going five to six innings because his pitch count would get high. I think he's just rounding into baseball shape where he might have been a month ago."

But what Roark has been able to do over the past couple of weeks, matched with the routinely strong starts by Scherzer and Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez's resurgence and Ross' rebound, gives Baker the dominant staff he thought he'd have at his disposal.

"It's imperative we get innings out of our starters," Baker said.

* Reliever Joe Blanton made the start for Double-A Harrisburg on Thursday night, the first appearance of a minor league rehabilitation assignment while he recovers from the right shoulder inflammation that landed him on the 10-day disabled list on May 17.

Blanton threw 10 of his 15 pitches for strikes, fanning a pair of Altoona batters.

"I haven't seen a report, but he said he felt good," Baker said. "As long as he feels good, we feel good."

Blanton was in the Nationals clubhouse Friday afternoon and the team will monitor how he feels after the outing. There isn't a timetable established for his return, but Baker said he would have to pass several tests, including pitching on rest and on back-to-back days, before he could be activated.

"It'll at least be another week or so, to me" before Blanton can be activated off the DL, Baker said, quickly leaving himself some wiggle room by saying, "It could be less."

When Blanton returns to action, Baker isn't sure whether the righty will be pitching the high-leverage innings the Nationals had in mind when they signed him as a free agent on March 2. Blanton has struggled mightily, posting an 0-2 record and 9.49 ERA in 14 relief appearances.