The Sports Xchange
May 24, 2017
WASHINGTON -- Right-handed starter Tanner Roark benefited from strong defense while allowing one run in seven innings, and Trea Turner drove in a run, scored a run and had two steals as the Washington Nationals beat the Seattle Mariners 5-1 on Wednesday.
Roark (4-2), looking like the pinpoint pitcher from 2016, allowed eight hits with no walks and eight strikeouts. He threw 102 pitches after giving up 11 earned runs in his previous two starts when his ERA ballooned to 4.73. Roark now has a 4.32 ERA.
Washington reliever Enny Romero allowed a hit but got two outs in the eighth, and Shawn Kelley got the last out with a runner on base. Koda Glover pitched a perfect ninth for the Nationals, who handed Seattle its fifth loss in a row.
Mariners' starter Sam Gaviglio (0-1), in his third major league appearance, gave up five runs (one earned) and six hits with two walks and one strikeout in six innings. He was around the plate all night, for better or worse, and threw 73 pitches -- 53 for strikes.
Robinson Cano was 3-for-4 and Guillermo Heredia had two hits for Seattle, which is now 0-8 all time in the nation's capital. In the second game of the interleague series first-place Washington improved to 28-17 while last-place Seattle fell to 20-27.
Washington catcher Matt Wieters extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single in the eighth.
Seattle took a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI single by Cano, who came off the disabled list Tuesday.
The Nationals scored four unearned runs in the first off Gaviglio, who turned 27 on Monday and was making the second start of his major league career.
Turner reached on an error by fellow shortstop Jean Segura to lead off the last of the first. Turner stole second and went to third when Bryce Harper flied out to right.
Turner then scored on a sacrifice fly by Ryan Zimmerman and Anthony Rendon followed with a three-run homer to make it 4-0.
Turner had an RBI single in the second to up the margin to 5-1.
Cano was robbed off a homer in the third when Washington center fielder Michael A. Taylor reached over the fence in left-center and pulled the ball back, though it fell to the ground for a double. Zimmerman, the first baseman, came up with another fine play as he tagged out the next batter -- Danny Valencia -- after a poor throw from Turner at short. It was the third fine defensive play of the inning for Washington, as Roark threw out Kyle Seager on a bunt try to start the frame.
Taylor continued the fine leather show when he made a fine diving catch to rob Seager off a hit in the fifth.
NOTES: With rain in the forecast the Thursday game slated for 4:05 p.m. has been moved up to 12:05 p.m. in the series finale in Washington ... Seattle called up RHP Rob Whalen from Triple-A Tacoma and sent RHP Emilio Pagan to Tacoma in a corresponding move. Whalen was with Seattle on May 5 but did not make an appearance ... The Mariners, also on Wednesday, acquired minor league OF Andrew Aplin from the Houston Astros for a player to be named later or cash considerations ... Washington OF Chris Heisey (right biceps strain) went on the 10-day disabled list just before the game and OF Brian Goodwin was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse. Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) cameras showed Heisey grimacing after he swung at a pitch during batting practice Wednesday, and he walked away from the cage.