Phillies making Roark work once again (Nats win 6-4)

The Phillies made Tanner Roark work five days ago at Citizens Bank Park but couldn't make much of a dent into the right-hander. Tonight, they're making Roark work once again, and this time they're taking advantage of it.

Roark surrendered a pair of two-out RBI singles in the top of the fourth - one to Michael Saunders, one to Cameron Rupp - that plated three runs and leaves the Nationals trailing 3-0 with their starter's pitch count very high early in this game.

Roark has needed 86 pitches just to complete four innings, making a deep start an unlikely proposition at this point. It's an even more dramatic version of the last game he started, Sunday against these same Phillies up the road, in which he needed 100 pitches to complete six innings (but allowed only two runs, both unearned).

Roark got through the first three innings unscathed, thanks in large part to two double-play grounders induced. But he couldn't get through the fourth inning clean despite being one pitch away on multiple occasions.

With two on and two out, Roark allowed a single to right to Saunders on a 2-2 pitch, bringing home the night's first run. After Maikel Franco singled to left to load the bases, Roark again was one strike away but served up a two-run single to center to Rupp.

The Nationals haven't converted so far against Nick Pivetta. The rookie right-hander and former Nats draft pick gave up four runs (including three homers) in five innings when he faced his old organization last weekend in Philadelphia but has put up four straight zeroes to open this game.

The Nats' best chance came in the bottom of the second, when they had two on with nobody out. But Anthony Rendon flew out to center, and then Pivetta struck out both Matt Wieters and Michael A. Taylor to quash the rally.

Update: Roark lasted only 4 2/3 innings and was pulled with his pitch count at a whopping 110. Joe Blanton entered and proceeded to give up an RBI double to Tommy Joseph. (All of the Phillies' four runs tonight have come on hits with two outs and two strikes.)

Down 4-0 and looking pretty lifeless, the Nats finally got a spark in the bottom of the fifth from Taylor (who doubled down the third base line) and Trea Turner (who launched a two-run homer to right-center). That cut the deficit to 4-2, and it didn't stay there long.

After Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper each drew two-out walks, Ryan Zimmerman came to the plate with a chance to do some damage against Pivetta (who he homered off last weekend in Philly). Zimmerman wound up scorching a 110-mph laser of a double to right-center, bringing home two runs and tying this game 4-4.

Update II: Nats win on a walk-off homer, and you'll never guess who hit it. Yep, Bryce Harper walked off the Phillies for the second time this season, launching a two-run homer to center off Edubray Ramos in the bottom of the ninth. Nats win 6-4.