WASHINGTON -- Tanner Roark pitches in a rotation with All-Stars Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer and still finds ways to stand out.Roark pitched eight-plus innings of five-hit ball and had an RBI single during a three-run fourth as the Washington Nationals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-0 on Saturday night.Roark (9-5) allowed five singles with one walk and five strikeouts in his longest start of the season. He started the ninth but left after allowing a single and hitting a batter.Oh, man. He was great, Nationals manager Dusty Baker said of Roark, who returned to Washingtons rotation after working as a reliever in 2015. What can you say? Hes given us everything we wanted.Anthony Rendon homered and drove in two runs. Second baseman Stephen Drew had three doubles and one RBI in place of NL batting leader Daniel Murphy. The Nationals have won five straight games, including two over the Pirates following the All-Star break, and 13 of 17.Baker stated a goal of having Washingtons record 20 games over .500 at some point this season. The latest victory did just that as the NL East leader improved to 56-36.The Pirates have dropped three in a row after a 9-1 stretch.Washington spoiled the return of Gerrit Cole (5-5) from the 15-day disabled list. The 2015 All-Star allowed five runs -- four earned -- and seven hits over four innings.I just didnt execute enough pitches, Cole said. If I made one quality pitch I followed it up with a subpar (pitch). ... I got crushed.Coles first major league appearance since June 10 was delayed 71 minutes by rain. Washington wasted little time scoring with single runs in the first and second innings plus three in the fourth for a 5-0 lead.Roark rarely faced trouble in recording his third win in four starts. The consistent right-hander pitched at least seven innings for the fifth straight outing.I pride myself ... on going as long as I can and as hard as I can, Roark said. Thats what starting pitchers are supposed to do.Andrew McCutchens second hit loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth, but reliever Blake Treinen completed Washingtons seventh shutout this season.Pittsburgh had three total runners reach in the second inning, but Roark deftly avoided damage with two groundouts including a double play on a ball hit by Sean Rodriguez.Rendons RBI single put Washington up 1-0 in the first. Back-to-back doubles by Drew and Danny Espinosa in the second added another run off Cole, a 19-game winner last season. He returned after missing several weeks with a right triceps strain. Cole entered Saturday 2-0 with a 1.74 ERA in three career starts against the Nationals.Pittsburgh second baseman Josh Harrison fielded Roarks bases loaded grounder in the fourth. Spinning around for the throw to first base, Harrisons toss sailed and landed in Washingtons dugout as two runs scored.Murphy has missed consecutive games with left hamstring tightness after suffering an injury in Tuesdays MLB All-Star game.GNAT FOR NATSMcCutchen has a hit in seven straight games against Washington, batting .360 (9 for 25) with one home run and four RBI in that stretch.LIFE HAPPENSThat Murphys injury occurred in the All-Star game, while unfortunate, doesnt have Baker fretting over his players participating in the exhibition game. He could have done it getting out of the bathtub, Baker said. Its hard to live your life wondering if youre going to get hurt or not. Youre just trying to not take any unnecessary risks.TRAINERS ROOMPirates: RF Gregory Polanco either will return to the lineup by Tuesday or be placed on the disabled list with left hamstring tightness, manager Clint Hurdle said. Polanco, out since July 8, is not expected to play Sunday, but Hurdle stated, Were optimistic with his progress.Nationals: Baker said he expects Murphy in Sundays lineup, but playing first base because its less grueling and twisting than at second base.UP NEXTPirates: RHP Chad Kuhl (1-0, 6.08 ERA) allowed four runs in 2 1/3 innings for a no-decision against the Cubs in his previous start on July 10.Nationals: RHP Scherzer (10-6, 3.03) makes his first start since appearing in the All-Star game. He threw a no-hitter against Pittsburgh on June 20, 2015. Nike Air Pegasus Mens Sale . The Nashville Predators were glad their captain was still on their side. Weber had a goal and two assists, and Roman Josi scored the shootout winner to lift the Predators to a 4-3 win over the Flyers on Thursday night. Nike Air Pegasus 33 Womens . Shot outdoors against the stunning backdrop of Banff, Alta., the networks 30-minute original production airs tonight at 8pm et/5pm pt on TSN2. The four All-Star teams will play for $100,000 in prize money during TSNs annual skins game, airing live this weekend on TSN from The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre. http://www.airzoompegasussale.com/ . The Montreal Canadiens announced on Friday that the veteran forward will return to the teams line-up on Saturday night when the Habs visit the Nashville Predators. Nike Air Pegasus 34 Mens . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . Nike Air Pegasus 34 Womens . -- The Missouri Tigers might not have a roster full of superstars.Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week they discuss Chris Froomes victory at the Tour de France, Mariano Riveras final appearance at the All-Star Game, Nick Faldos criticism of Rory McIlroy and the retractable roof at Rogers Centre. Bruce Arthur, National Post: My thumb is up to Chris Froome for winning the Tour de France in unbelievable fashion, or maybe too believable. He made it look so easy. Hes going to have the biggest winning margin since Lance Armstrong in 2004. Hes going to have the most stage wins for a champion since Lance Armstrong in 2004. He climbed the hard part of Mont Ventoux, the really gut-busting stuff, faster than anyone in history except for Lance Armstrong in 2002. He looked a lot like Lance Armstrong, which of course means that thats not very good. Lance Armstrong doesnt exist as far as the Tour de France is concerned anymore. All those accomplishments have been wiped from history. Chris Froome has won the Tour de France, which means now we wait. So its a thumbs up until proven otherwise. Steve Simmons, Sun Media: My thumb is up to Mariano Rivera, who not only saved the MLB All-Star Game without registering a save but he brought us a view of something we otherwise wouldnt have seen. There wasnt much reason to watch the game on Tuesday, frankly theres little reason anymore to do so, but the story was Rivera in his 13th and final All-Star Game. When was he going to pitch, how was he going to pitch, hhow was manager Jim Leyland going to use him.ddddddddddddAnd all eyes, fans, media, ball players were on him the entire game. When he pitched his scoreless inning in the eighth and was named Most Valuable Player, even though he was only one of 13 pitchers to pitch one scoreless inning in the All-Star Game, no one questioned the choice. Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated: My thumb is down to Sir Nick Faldo for scolding the British Open and climbing all over Rory McIlroy for his work ethic. Its unfortunate because McIlroy is having a tough year, no doubt, and Faldo was right when he said McIlroy shouldnt have changed a winning game, shouldnt have changed clubs, switching to Nike, but McIlroy puts in the work. In his criticism, Faldo sounded like the old man yelling a kids to get off his lawn. And in this case, the lawn was storied Muirfield. Dave Hodge, TSN: Every once in a while, theres a reason to praise Rogers Centre, specifically for its retractable roof. Friday was one of those times. A mammoth storm hit southern Ontario and the Rogers roof allowed a baseball game to be played and baseball fans to be dry and safe, albeit with a stadium evacuation plan ready if needed and displayed on the Rogers Jumbotron. Circumstances forced me to leave the Blue Jays and the Tampa Rays in the early innings to deal with matters at home. It was a wild night, but pretty normal inside the Rogers Centre. Insert a line here if you want about the Blue Jays 8-5 loss adding to the normalcy. 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