As he struggled toggling between the Washington Nationals' rotation and bullpen last season, Tanner Roark kept telling himself that all he needed was consistency. Starting pitchers are creatures of routine. And once he won a job in the rotation this spring training, as he had in 2014, Roark had the opportunity he needed.
“I always saw myself as a starter,” Roark said. “The fifth day — I was told this in college — that’s an honor.”
In his fourth start of the season Saturday, Roark not only found his rhythm but surpassed his previous marks of dominance. Despite his reputation as a groundball pitcher, 12 of the first 14 outs Roark recorded Saturday against the Minnesota Twins came via strikeout. He finished with a career-high 15, throwing a career-high 121 pitches over seven scoreless innings in a 2-0 victory at Nationals Park that moved the Nats to 13-4.
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"He was totally different today," catcher Wilson Ramos said. "He really impressed me."
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Only Max Scherzer, who had starts of 16 and 17 strikeouts last season, has fanned more as a National. All but six of the 21 outs Roark notched Saturday came via the strikeout.
“It’s a good feeling,” Roark said. “But the more contact, the earlier I get and put the ball in play, the better. It was a heck of a game.”
The Twins’ lineup has struggled, and Roark had them baffled. His ball had so much movement that the Minnesota batters often simply froze. More than 40 percent of his 78 strikes were taken.
“He threw the heck out of the ball,” Twins second baseman Brian Dozier said. “His ball was moving all over the place, way more than when we faced him in the exhibition game. He’s throwing harder than he was.”
With the help of relievers Blake Treinen, Oliver Perez and Jonathan Papelbon, Nationals pitchers combined for 18 strikeouts, a team record for a nine-inning game. They allowed a season-low two hits en route to their third shutout.
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“Today was a special moment for Tanner,” pitching coach Mike Maddux said. “Credit to him.”
Roark has averaged a little more than six strikeouts per nine innings in his career. The most he had struck out previously was 11 on June 6, 2014. In his past three starts, Roark struck out a combined nine. Against the Twins, Roark couldn’t help himself.
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“[The past] two starts, I was trying to be too fine and trying to throw it to that spot and not letting [my pitches] eat and letting it go,” Roark said. “I got pissed off at myself basically.”
The Nationals staked Roark to an early lead. They entered the game with 22 first-inning runs, the most of any team in any inning this season. Thanks to Anthony Rendon, Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman, the Nationals added more.
Rendon singled off Twins right-hander Phil Hughes, Harper followed with a double, and Zimmerman’s groundball single up the middle scored both. Although the Nationals went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position, the two runs were all Roark needed.
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“I’m not going to complain about scoring first-inning runs, but we need to capitalize on some more opportunities that we’ve had and score some more runs in the other innings as well,” Zimmerman said.
After getting out of a two-on, two-out jam in the first inning, Roark cruised. As he started mixing in more curveballs, sliders and change-ups, the Twins looked even more helpless. Asked when he had all four pitches working so well, Roark smiled.
“I don’t think I ever have,” he said. “I was throwing four pitches to lefties and righties. Keeping them guessing, keeping them uncomfortable up at the plate, trying to get ahead with strike one.”
Roark struck out Eduardo Escobar in the fourth inning on a wicked curveball, and the shortstop walked back to the Twins’ dugout shaking his head in disgust. Roark then fanned Max Kepler on four pitches, the final one a perfectly placed two-seam fastball that froze the center fielder. He struck out eight with his sinker, the pitch that makes Roark so effective.
“It’s a huge pitch,” Maddux said. “I mean, it’s a bona fide out pitch. You can tell the guy it’s coming, and it’s hard to hang in there. The guys who have that pitch — and Tanner is one of them — you can get a lot of outs.
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The downside to so many strikeouts is a higher pitch count. Roark needed 108 pitches to get through six innings. But Manager Dusty Baker talked to Ramos, who said Roark’s stuff was still sharp, and Maddux, who noted that Roark hadn’t labored much to that point. They sent him out for the seventh inning.
“That was a huge confidence builder,” Roark said. “I love that Dusty and Mike trusted in me to go out there. My body felt great and arm felt great. I still felt focused on the mound. It’s my game — and I wanted it.”
Roark massaged a groundout from Escobar, sat Kepler down again on a two-seam fastball and — on the 121st pitch — got former National Kurt Suzuki to line out to end the inning. Roark walked back to the dugout to a standing ovation from the crowd and high-fives from teammates.
“That’s what he wanted, and that’s what he got,” Baker said. “We gave him the ball, and he’s rewarding us and himself with innings.”
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