Nationals ride early offense, then Roark to 4-0 win in Philly

PHILADELPHIA - While their offense remains very much in hit-or-miss mode, the Nationals at least know they can still count on Tanner Roark to deliver a big-time start when they most need one.

The Nationals scored two quick runs off the Phillies tonight, then sat back and watched as Roark and the bullpen took care of the rest, tossing a combined shutout during what became a 4-0 victory by night's end at Citizens Bank Park.

Roark handled the first seven of those shutout innings, never entirely dominating Philadelphia's lineup, but never ceding control of the game, either. In other words, it was a wholly typical outing for the right-hander.

This was the eighth time this season Roark has pitched at least seven scoreless innings, tops in the majors. Yes, more than Jake Arrieta, more than Clayton Kershaw, more than Madison Bumgarner, more than Max Scherzer or Stephen Strasburg.

In the process, Roark improved to 14-7 with a 2.87 ERA, seventh-best in the National League.

Roark put six men on base during his start, but only once did two men reach in the same inning. Twice, leadoff singles were erased by double plays.

With his starter's pitch count at 100, manager Dusty Baker turned to his bullpen to finish off the last two innings. Newly acquired left-hander Marc Rzepczynski, celebrating his 31st birthday, retired the side in the eighth. Closer Mark Melancon then pitched the ninth, though his teammates' two-run rally in the top of the inning removed the save opportunity for him.

With their first off-day in three weeks looming at the end of this series, the Nationals perhaps had a little extra hop in their step when they took the field tonight. And when they jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, they had to be feeling good about themselves.

Jayson Werth got things started with the latest blast in his recent power surge. Werth belted a solo homer to left, his third in four games, his seventh of August (tied for the most he has ever hit in a calendar month with the Nationals) and his 19th of the season.

A few moments later, Bryce Harper (who had drawn a two-out walk) ran on a 3-2 pitch to Anthony Rendon and came all the way around to score without a throw on a single to left-center.

But that's all the Nationals were able to manage at the plate the rest of the night against Jake Thompson, a 22-year-old rookie acquired by the Phillies as part of last summer's Cole Hamels trade who sported a 9.78 ERA in his first four major league starts.

And it's not like the Nats had a whole lot of opportunities for more damage. When Trea Turner stepped to the plate with two on and two out in the seventh, it represented the Nationals' first at-bat of the game with a man in scoring position. (Turner worked the count full, but struck out on a curveball from Thompson, the rookie's final pitch of the game.)

The Nationals did tack on a pair of insurance runs in the ninth when Rendon reached via a wild pitch on a strikeout, advanced two bases on an errant pickoff throw and then scored on Clint Robinson's RBI single. Turner later added a two-out RBI single, extending the lead to 4-0.