Washington Nationals News: Tanner Roark continues to shine in 2016

Today’s District Daily has more on Tanner Roark‘s 2016 success and an update on injured Washington Nationals utility player Stephen Drew.

Good evening DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily. Get caught up on the latest Nats news and opinions with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.

In today’s Daily, the Washington Post’s Jorge Castillo discusses how dominant right-hander Tanner Roark has been this season. After a huge win against the Giants yesterday, Roark is now 12-6 with a 2.88 ERA in 23 starts this season.

Roark’s success this season has been crucial for the Nationals, who have dealt with inconsistency from Gio Gonzalez and injury issues with Joe Ross.

Indeed, when people talk about the Nationals’ dominant rotation, most people focus on Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, who are undoubtedly two of the game’s best pitchers. But, as Castillo writes in his article below, Roark has pitched as well as many of the game’s best.

Our own Matt Weyrich noted yesterday that Roark has been just as good as Scherzer this season, with a fraction of the recognition and money:

Hopefully for the Nationals, Roark will stay dominant down the stretch and into the postseason. While the rotation is deep and powerful, the Nats need Roark if they want to accomplish their goals in October.

Also in today’s Daily, MLB.com’s Bill Ladson has an update on ailing Nationals utility player Stephen Drew.

Be sure to check out both articles below, they’re definitely worth a read. And as always, stay tuned to DoD for all your Washington Nationals needs.

Tanner Roark continues to pitch like one of the National League’s best

(Jorge Castillo, Washington Post)

Tanner Roark confronted a jam with two runners on base in four of the seven innings he pitched at Nationals Park on Sunday afternoon. Each time, the Nationals right-hander defied the odds and maneuvered out of the predicament. The last dodge was the unlikeliest of them all, a thrilling escape punctuated by Ben Revere’s over-the-shoulder catch on the warning track in center field that kept the Giants from scoring two runs in the seventh inning.

With that highlight, Roark’s day was over. He added another seven shutout innings to his sneakily impressive 2016 résumé and eventually bested Giants ace Madison Bumgarner because Wilson Ramos led the bottom of the inning off with a home run for his 12th win. Read full article here.

Next: Washington Nationals: 2016 looking like another lost season for Ryan Zimmerman

Drew doing baseball activities, but status TBD

(Bill Ladson, MLB.com)

WASHINGTON — Nationals infielder Stephen Drew, who is on the disabled list because of vertigo-like symptoms, played catch and performed infield drills at Nationals Park on Sunday.

On the surface, it looked like Drew wasn’t having any problems catching or throwing the baseball, but according to a baseball source, he is still experiencing dizzy spells. It’s not known what Drew will do next. Read full article here.