Roark still felt strong despite career-high 125 pitches

Right-hander Tanner Roark found a way to go six innings for the Nationals, something his manager Dusty Baker was hoping for his workhorse to do. But it was difficult for Roark, even though he wouldn't admit it.

Roark finished with a career-high 125 pitches. Baker needed his starter to go six innings because there were arms in his bullpen that needed rest.

Roark left with his club down 4-3 in a game they eventually would lose to the Diamondbacks 6-3.

"We had Ollie Pérez. He got up twice," Baker explained. "We didn't want to get him up again. And we were short on our right side of the bullpen. We didn't like taking Tanner up that high in pitches. I'm sure they didn't like taking their guys up that high in pitches also. But that was his last batter. We had some guys that were hurting some."

The reason Roark's pitch numbers got so high was the Diamondbacks' ability to see pitches well and foul off a ton of offerings.

"That first inning was a little longer," said catcher Jose Lobaton. "The guy just fouled off like 10 (pitches). I think the first two batters. Good thing that he finished and he was able to go six innings. I could only imagine if that first inning was shorter, he could've maybe gone eight."

Baker was asked why Roark induces so many foul-ball swings.

"Tanner's known to throw strikes. It started in the first inning," Baker said. "They fouled off a whole bunch of pitches, and I think he had like 50 pitches in the first two innings. That didn't fare too well for going deep in the game. I was surprised they fouled off that many pitches, because they hit the ball out of the ballpark and they also strike out. So evidently, they were seeing the ball pretty good today."

Arizona got two singles and struck out twice in the first. The Nationals countered by sending five men to the plate in their half. The first frame ended up taking 36 minutes. The game itself lasted three hours and 48 minutes.

Roark said all the foul tips and foul balls going back into the crowd didn't change his focus in the drawn-out first inning.

"Nothing, you got to keep your confidence level there," Roark said. "And just keep battling. They're doing the same thing at the plate. Can't give in and that's what I was trying to do the whole entire game, so I wasn't on point. I felt like I was nibbling a little bit in the beginning. Granted they were fouling stuff off, but it's part of the game and I'll just try to grind it out."

Finally, after all the full counts in the first, Lobaton admitted he and Roark tried something different to try to get Paul Goldschmidt out. Goldschmidt was waiting and rapped a run-scoring single into center field to give the Diamondbacks the 1-0 lead.

"Yeah. Yeah. And I think that was a bad idea," Lobaton said. "We tried with Goldschmidt with the changeup and he got a hit. He fouled off fastball, slider, I think curveball. Then I was like 'We got to do something different,' and we tried with the changeup 3-2 and he got a hit. Sometimes you don't know how that happens, but you got guys that protect the strike zone and there's nothing we can do. We just try to mix everything, move those guys, and see if they put the ball in play."

The pitch count began to mount as the full counts piled up. Roark said the amount of pitches needed to get guys out did frustrate him to a point.

"Yeah, there's a little frustration, but you can't do anything about it," Roark said. "They're trying not to get out and they just keep battling with good pitches and spitting on getting pitches, so it is what it is and you can't get frustrated. You can't show them that you're mad or upset or anything like that. You got to keep going out there and keep attacking."

Home runs from Jake Lamb and Chris Hermann added three critical runs to the Diamondbacks' ledger in the fourth. That gave them the lead for good at 4-3.

But after that, Roark did not allow another run or hit.

Some would argue 125 pitches is pushing a starter too far. But Roark said he still felt strong.

"I knew it was pretty high when I came out there in the fifth. I didn't know I threw 125, but felt good," Roark said. "Still feel good, body felt great. I'm very happy that Dusty let me go in there and finish the inning. I'm sure (Chris) Hermann was the last guy I was going to face and I wanted to get that last guy. It builds confidence in me and I'm glad he has the confidence in me to finish the inning."

Roark proved that he was up to the task. He struck out the final two batters he faced to reach a season-high eight strikeouts. But he would take the hard-luck loss to drop to 3-1.