Tanner Roark has been the Nationals’ punching bag, the piñata of the pitching staff.
But the working-class right-hander continues to clock in to work, and he was rewarded on Wednesday afternoon as the Nationals’ offense exploded in an 11-2 blitzing of the Tampa Bay Rays before a crowd of 33,106 fans at Nationals Park.
The win came after the team scored just 16 runs in his previous seven starts, while the Nationals scored the most runs in a game since a 12-4 win at home May 1 against Pittsburgh. Roark allowed just two runs on six hits in six innings and also had an RBI single.
His first win since late April came after he was needed out of the bullpen on Sunday in Atlanta — only to give up a game-winning homer in the ninth in what was supposed to be his day to throw in the bullpen between starts.
“It is what it is. It is definitely different than a bullpen day,” Roark said. “We won. That is all that matters.”
That has always been the mantra for Roark, who was demoted to the bullpen in 2015 even after he won 15 games the previous season as a starter.
Then last fall, he missed a chance to start in the playoffs against the Chicago Cubs while teammate Stephen Strasburg waffled on whether he was healthy enough to start.
Against the Rays on Wednesday, he had a lot of movement on his two-seam fastball, especially one that caught him and catcher Pedro Severino by surprise.
“I just tried to throw it as hard as I could,” Roark said, with a grin. “I went back (at the tape) and looked at it. It was a good one.”
After losing his previous four decisions, Roark went at least six innings for the 11th time this season. Only seven pitchers have done that, including teammates Max Scherzer and Strasburg.
“His last couple starts, his runs support from us hasn’t been great,” third baseman Anthony Rendon said. “It was good to see us back him early in the game and him not really coast but continue to battle and do what he does.”
Also taking notice was manager Dave Martinez, a former player and coach at Tampa Bay. Roark (3-6) lowered his ERA to 3.56, while throwing 84 pitches.
“We wanted to keep the lease short on him today since he pitched a few days ago,” Martinez said. “It worked out great.”
Providing the offense for Roark was Rendon, who was 4-for-5 and drove in three runs on his 28th birthday.
“For me he is the constant,” Martinez said. “He is the guy that goes out there every day and helps us win games every day. They all swung the bats really well.”
Centerfielder Michael A. Taylor had three hits and drove in three runs and upped his average to .215.
“Michael had some very good at-bats,” Martinez said. “He has been working with (hitting coach) Kevin (Long). It has paid off. He is swinging the bat a lot better.”
Taylor tries not to press at the plate since he contributes on defense.
“I know I am going to be in there the next day,” he said.
The Nationals (35-25) are a season-high 10 games over .500 and are 24-9 since late April, the best mark in the majors. Washington began Wednesday one game back of the first-place Atlanta Braves in the National League East.
The Nationals are off Thursday and begin a three-game series Friday night with the Giants, with Strasburg on the mound. Gio Gonzalez is slated to pitch Saturday at 12:05 p.m. with Scherzer on the mound on Sunday at 4:05 p.m.
NOTES: Nationals reliever Tim Collins and his wife had their third child, a girl, on Sunday at a Richmond-area hospital … Among the local players taken in the MLB draft this week was Bucknell pitcher Connor Van Hoose, who is from Alexandria and went to Gonzaga in The District. He went to the New York Yankees in the eighth round … The Nationals’ first two picks on Wednesday were college right-handed pitchers Frankie Bartow of Miami in the 11th round and Graham Lawson of South Carolina in the 12th round … Washington rookie left fielder Juan Soto, 19, is hitting .346 with a hit in 10 of his 15 starts. He had two hits Wednesday, as did shortstop Trea Turner. The Nats finished with 15 hits.
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