Tanner Roark Does What He Can But His Old Mates Hand Him A Loss

Tanner Roark was taking on old friends in a backyard game of baseball in an intimate gathering of 27,748  fans.

Roark, who spent 8-1/2 years in the Nationals' organization and the last six at the Major League level, faced them for the first time Saturday.  Erick Fedde was on the mound for the Nationals.

Washington hit three home runs to beat the Reds, 5-3.

"The emotions weren't as crazy as I thought they would be," said Roark, who hadn't allowed a home run since April 24.  "It was almost like a spring training game."

It looked like the Reds were going to extend a recent trend by scoring early and often but Fedde made pitches in jams to get out of trouble.

The Reds loaded the bases with one out in the first.  Nick Senzel doubled to leadoff the home first.  Eugenio Suarez reached on an error.  Derek Dietrich walked but Jessee Winker hit into the first of three double plays to frustrate the Reds' scoring chances.

"We had some missed opportunities," David Bell said.  "We had a lot of guys on and just didn't get the big hit.  Hitting doesn't get any easier because there are runners on base."

The Nationals got to Roark in the second inning.  Anthony Rendon and Brian Dozier singled.  Gerrado Parra hit his fourth home run of the season into the right field stands, giving the Nationals' a 3-0 lead.

"It was a good pitch," Roark said.  "It was up and in.  I've had a lot of success pitching there and put it where I wanted to.  It is a hot zone for Parra.  I should have known that coming in but I'm not going to be mad about it."

Roark and the Reds got one of those runs back in their turn in the home second.  Jose Iglesias walked  He went to third on Tucker Barnhart's single.  Roark squared and bunted past the mound, forcing Fedde to field it.  Iglesias scored.

Matt Adams came into the game 5-for-9 with two home runs against Roark.  He took Roark deep for the third time.  It was Adams sixth home run of the season.

Roark got that run back with his first career home run off Fedee.  Derek Dietrich stopped by his locker and gave him a t-shirt that Dietrich had made up.  It says, Let if Fly DD 22 with a lightning bolt in between.  Roark put it up in his locker.

"I didn't think I hit it out," Roark said.  "I started running in case it caromed.  I was going to go for a triple.  I didn't make eye contact around the bases.  I saw out to the corner of my eye that (Anthony) Rendon was looking away and smiling like he always does."

"Tanner pitched great.  He can handle the bat pretty well," Bell said.  "The bunt was where it was supposed to be.  I am surprised that it was his first career homer, the way he can swing the bat."

The Reds had multiple runners on in the third and fifth inning but double play balls thwarted scoring chances.

Tanner Rainey, who the Reds traded to get Roark, pitched 1-1/3 innings of scoreless relief.  The effort earned Rainey his first Major League win.  With Roark taking his fourth loss to drop to 4-4.

Roark went six innings, leaving the game behind 4-2.  He gave up four runs on six hits and a walk, while striking out six.

Sean Doolittle entered in the ninth, trying to earn his 11th save in 13 tries. He pitched a 1-2-3 inning to nail it down for Washington.