Washington Nationals vs Houston Astros Box Score on Aug 22, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Aug 22, 2017

HOUSTON -- Tanner Roark recovered from a rocky start, and the Washington Nationals delivered with two outs in consecutive innings to claim a 4-3 interleague win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park.

Roark (10-8) pitched into the sixth inning after struggling early before handing over a one-run lead to his bullpen, which responded to the challenge of protecting it.

The Astros (76-49) mounted their biggest threat in the bottom of the eighth, loading the bases with one out against right-hander Brandon Kintzler. Max Stassi followed by grounding into a 5-4-3 inning-ending double play, with second baseman Daniel Murphy having the time to nab Stassi with the throw despite double-clutching.

The Nationals (75-48) first struck with two outs against Astros right-hander Charlie Morton (10-6) in the third inning. Howie Kendrick drilled a two-run triple to straightaway center field that scored Matt Wieters and Michael Taylor, who just beat out a double play by hustling down the first base line.

With the Astros leading 3-2 in the fourth, Wieters socked a two-run home run to center field, his ninth homer on the season.

Left-hander Sean Doolittle, the fifth Nationals pitcher of the night, notched his 12th save with Washington, throwing a perfect ninth.

Houston struck for a solo run in each of its first three at-bats, doing so with two outs in the first and second, but an inability to post a crooked number in the third inning proved costly.

Josh Reddick and Derek Fisher delivered two-out RBIs in the first and second innings, respectively, with Reddick plating George Springer for a 1-0 lead and Fisher driving home Carlos Beltran to double that advantage.

After taking a 3-2 lead on another RBI single by Reddick, this one an infield hit that ricocheted off Roark, the Astros loaded the bases with one out. Roark responded with a strikeout of Marwin Gonzalez, the first of 10 consecutive batters he retired to cap his outing.

When the Nationals took the lead in the fourth, the Gonzalez strikeout loomed large. Roark allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits with seven strikeouts and one walk over 5 2/3 innings.

Morton gave up four runs on five hits in six innings.

NOTES: Astros RHP Will Harris (right shoulder inflammation) pitched one scoreless inning for Double-A Corpus Christi, and the club will evaluate his progress before rendering a decision on his reinstatement from the 10-day disabled list. LHP Tony Sipp and RHP Michael Feliz also worked scoreless innings in their rehab appearances. C Evan Gattis (concussion) has a three-day program with Corpus Christi. ... While Nationals RHP Max Scherzer continues to receive treatment for neck inflammation, the club has not determined if he will be reinstated from the 10-day disabled list on Friday when he is eligible. ... Astros C Brian McCann (right knee soreness) is set for reinstatement from the 10-day disabled list on Thursday and should play in the series finale against Washington. McCann landed on the DL on Aug. 14.