MLB Notes: Roark strikes out 15 as Nationals top Twins

Sometimes there’s really no explaining why a pitcher not known for strikeouts suddenly turns into a strikeout artist.

The Washington Nationals had no shortage of theories, however, after Tanner Roark fanned a career-high 15 and allowed only two hits over seven innings Saturday in a 2-0 victory over the visiting Minnesota Twins.

Roark (2-2) twice struck out the side and fanned at least two strikeouts in four other innings. It was only the second time in 52 career starts the right-hander reached double digits in strikeouts – the other was on July 6, 2014, when he fanned 11 at San Diego.

So what happened?

“I was throwing four pitches to lefties and righties,” Roark said. “Keeping them guessing, uncomfortable at the plate.”

He sure did.

“On a given day, anybody can be world beater. Today was Tanner’s day to do that,” Nationals pitching coach Mike Maddux said. “Just to have that special moment.”

And finally, manager Dusty Baker dug deep to come up with this reason: “He shaved his beard off, so that had something to do with it, probably.”

Roark acknowledged that he never felt so sharp on the mound, and the numbers backed up the assessment.

He threw a career-high 121 pitches, 78 of them strikes. He walked three, got all but six outs via strikeouts and held the Twins hitless over his final five innings. The 15 Ks were five more than he totaled in his first three starts.

Roark began the day with a 27-20 record and 3.15 ERA in 88 games with the Nationals.

Roark and a trio of relievers combined to fan 18, the most by Washington since its arrival from Montreal in 2005.

Blake Treinen and Oliver Perez worked the eighth. Jonathan Papelbon got three outs to complete the combined two-hitter and earn his seventh save.

Ryan Zimmerman drove in two runs and Bryce Harper had a pair of doubles for the Nationals, whose 13-4 start matches the 1981 Expos and 2012 Nats for the best in franchise history.

Phil Hughes (1-3) gave up two runs and six hits in seven innings. Half the hits he allowed came in the first inning, when Washington scored all its runs.

“Phil settled down and did a real nice job of completing his outing,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “He did everything he could to give us a chance.”

The Twins’ lone hits were a first-inning single by Joe Mauer and double by Max Kepler in the second. The defeat dropped the Twins to an AL-worst 5-13.

“Roark had a good day,” Molitor said. “He hasn’t pitched poorly, but he hasn’t pitched great until today. The strikeouts were partly him, partly us. That’s a big number, no matter who’s out there.”

Washington went up 2-0 in the first when Zimmerman hit a two-run single after Anthony Rendon singled and Harper doubled.

“At the time you’re thinking, `It’s just two runs, we can hopefully we can find a way to bounce back,“’ Hughes said. “But that wasn’t the case today.”

Mets’ deGrom to return to mound

Jacob deGrom returned to the New York Mets on Saturday and says all is well with his infant son, Jaxon, following a scare the pitcher revealed was a breathing problem.

DeGrom will start Sunday against the Atlanta Braves after missing one turn because of a sore right lat muscle and another start due to his son’s health concern.

DeGrom says his son had a form of apnea that caused him to stop breathing after falling asleep.

“It was definitely scary,” deGrom said. “He had to be checked into the NICU and they had to monitor him in there but when all the tests came back and nothing was seriously wrong we were pretty relieved. But at first it was a scary time.”

Concerns were relieved after Jaxon was monitored for five consecutive nights without the problem recurring. The baby is home with deGrom’s wife, Stacy.

“The doctors said they go looking for problems but you don’t really want to find any,” deGrom said. “And luckily they didn’t find any. He’s doing great now.”

Now deGrom’s new concern is learning how to change diapers.

“That I’m still struggling with!” he said.

Manager Terry Collins said deGrom may be limited to 85 pitches on Sunday. DeGrom threw 71 pitches in a simulated game in Florida on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, outfielder Yoenis Cespedes is not playing in Saturday night’s game against the Braves after aggravating his bruised right leg while sliding into second with a double in Friday night’s game. He left the game an inning later.

Collins said Cespedes may be held out more than one day.

“I’m concerned that it might be, yeah,” Collins said. “The bruise is pretty big. It’s looking pretty bad.”

Orioles place Gallardo on DL

The Baltimore Orioles placed pitcher Yovani Gallardo on the 15-day disabled list with tendinitis in the shoulder of his pitching arm.

Gallardo complained of a sore right shoulder in his start Friday against the Kansas City Royals and was pulled after two innings and 45 pitches. The Orioles flew him back to Baltimore to be examined.

While Gallardo has made 30-plus starts the past seven years, the Orioles were concerned about his shoulder after a February physical before signing him and reconstructed his contract, cutting their original offer from three years to two with an option. The 30-year-old is guaranteed $22 million over two years, including a $2 million buyout for 2018.

Gallardo has been on the disabled four times in his career, but never for an arm issue. The last time was 2010 with an oblique strain.

The Orioles activated left-hander Brian Matusz, who had been on the disabled list with a left side strain.