Nationals score early and often in 11-2 rout of Rays

Davey Martinez wanted early offense via more walks and more quality at-bats. He got that and then some this afternoon as the Nationals cruised to a two-game sweep of the Rays.

Behind a five-run first inning that included everything their manager asked for and more, the Nationals took a quick lead on Tampa Bay and then kept the pressure on all afternoon to earn an 11-2 victory.

In discussing his club's recent offensive struggles prior to the game, Martinez noted the need for stars like Bryce Harper to be willing to take more walks than he has been of late and for others to use the entire field in search of run-scoring hits with men on base. Then his team went out and did just that.

Facing reliever Jonny Venters as the Rays' one-inning "opener," the Nationals sent 10 men to the plate in the bottom of the first and brought five of them home. Harper drew his much-coveted walk and joined Trea Turner in scoring on Anthony Rendon's double to the gap in left-center. After Juan Soto walked, Michael A. Taylor delivered an RBI double to right field to make it 3-0.

Then, after Rays manager Kevin Cash pulled the plug on Venters and asked starter-turned-reliever Ryan Yarbrough to intentionally walk Pedro Severino to load the bases with two outs in the bottom of the first, Tanner Roark lined a base hit to right field to score two more runs and complete the five-run rally.

The Nationals never let off the gas pedal. They scored another run in the second on another RBI single by Taylor (this time to center field). They added four more runs in the sixth via four hits that included opposite-field RBI hits by Rendon, Soto and Taylor.

Rendon, celebrating his 28th birthday, had three hits (two of them doubles), three runs and three RBIs. Soto, still 19, reached base three times against left-handers and continued to make his case to remain in the big leagues even when Adam Eaton returns from the disabled list (possibly this weekend).

Taylor, meanwhile, continued to make his case to not be unseated from the lineup with three hits, all to center or right field, all of them driving in runs.

The beneficiary of the run support, for the first time in a long time, was Roark. The Nationals had scored six total runs in his last six starts, then matched that total in the first two innings this afternoon.

With a healthy lead, Roark was free to go right at the Tampa Bay lineup, and so he was both effective and efficient. Carlos Gomez singled home a run in the fourth, and C.J. Cron clanked a ball off the left field foul pole in the fifth, but otherwise Roark was unscathed over six innings of two-run ball.

His starter's pitch count at 84 but his team leading by eight runs, Martinez decided not to push Roark any farther and handed over the final three innings to his bullpen.