Nats, Mets close series at Citi Field
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rookie right-hander Tanner Roark makes his second career start on Thursday afternoon when the Washington Nationals return to Citi Field to wrap up a four-game series with the New York Mets.
A 26-year-old Illinois native, Roark made his first nine appearances of the season out of the bullpen and picked up four wins and a hold while posting a 1.19 earned run average across 22 2/3 innings of work.
He was transitioned to the rotation on Sept. 7 in Miami and responded well, tossing six innings of scoreless four-hit ball for win No. 5 in a 9-2 triumph.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The outing lowered the already impressive ERA to 0.94 in 28 2/3 innings.
In one relief outing against the Mets on Aug. 31, Roark allowed three hits and a run - while walking three and striking out five - across 3 1/3 innings of a game Washington lost, 11-3.
He'll be opposed by veteran right-hander Aaron Harang, who makes his debut for the Mets after starting the season with 22 starts for the Seattle Mariners.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Harang was released by the Mariners on Aug. 31 after going 5-11 with a 5.76 ERA in 120 1/3 innings.
His last start with Seattle came on Aug. 25 against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and ended in a 7-1 loss after he gave up seven runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.
In eight career meetings with Washington, Harang is 1-3 with a 3.92 ERA.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On Wednesday, Dan Haren tossed six scoreless innings of one-hit ball in the Nationals' 3-0 win.
Haren (9-13) fanned eight and walked just one for the Nationals, who have won 18 of their last 22 games against the Mets at Citi Field. They're 22-9 over their last 31 games overall.
The right-hander surrendered seven runs and nine hits over 2 2/3 frames in an 11-3 home loss to New York on Aug 31. Haren was 4-0 with a 1.98 ERA over his last seven outings coming into that game.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Washington remained six games behind the Cincinnati Reds for the NL's second wild-card spot with 17 to play.
Ryan Zimmerman smacked a solo shot, Anthony Rendon had a two-run double and Rafael Soriano worked a scoreless ninth to tally his 41st save of the season in the triumph.
Zack Wheeler (7-5) allowed a run on eight hits and a walk over seven innings for New York, which has dropped eight of its last 10 contests.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Nationals won eight of the first 15 games with the Mets in 2013, though New York took two of three in a series from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1.