Unhappy 18: Twins tie club record for K's in shutout loss

WASHINGTON – Brian Dozier knew his team had struck out a few times on Saturday, but he was mildly surprised to find out that Washington righthander Tanner Roark had amassed a career-high 15 strikeouts.

And Dozier had no idea that the Twins had tied a club record for strikeouts in a game with 18 until reporters tossed it at him following their 2-0 loss to the Nationals.

"Oh," Dozier said after a double-take. "That stinks."

The Twins were the Whiff Kids on Saturday, making Roark look like Walter Johnson while recording only two hits. They tied their single-game record set on Sept. 13, 1995, at Seattle. Randy Johnson started that game, striking out 13 over seven innings before Mariners relievers Jeff Nelson and Norm Charlton piled on.

Roark, a sinkerballer, held the Twins to two hits and three walks over seven innings with the 15 K's. He entered Saturday with a total of nine strikeouts over three starts this season. Reliever Blake Treinen and Oliver Perez each struck out a batter. When closer Jonathan Papelbon struck out Miguel Sano to start the ninth, it was No. 18 on the day for the Twins, putting them in the club record book.

And the Twins had made strides to make more contact. They had 10 or more strikeouts in five of their first six games but had cut down on bad habits over their previous seven, batting .306 with only 44 strikeouts.

Good luck Sunday, as the powerful Stephen Strasburg is on the mound.

What's remarkable is that only 14 of the 78 strikes Roark threw were swung on and missed. There were 32 called strikes, as plate umpire Jim Joyce was calling the high strike.

But the Twins simply couldn't touch Roark (2-2), who dominated with a sinking fastball that was so live, it looked as if he could throw pitches at the waist of lefthanded hitters and the ball would break down and in for strikes. Dozier said Roark was a different pitcher than when they faced him near the end of spring training on April 1 at Nationals Park.

"The ball was kind of moving all over the place," Dozier said. "Me and Kurt Suzuki said in the fourth inning that his ball usually doesn't move that much."

Seven Twins struck out twice, including Joe Mauer, who had one of the two Twins hits. Sano, starting at third base for the first time this season, struck out three times.

"[Roark] was on today," Twins shortstop Eduardo Escobar said. "He threw his best pitches. You have to give him credit."

Anthony Rendon singled with one out in the first inning, followed by a double by Bryce Harper that put runners on second and third. Ryan Zimmerman shot a single up the middle to score both. Hughes found his rhythm, began filling the strike zone and wound up giving up only two runs and seven hits over seven innings, with two walks and two strikeouts.

The Twins needed a base­runner and a big swing to get back in it. But Max Kepler's second-inning double was as close as they got to scoring from there. It was also their final hit of the day.

The Nationals improved to 13-4, the best start in franchise history (that includes their time as the Montreal Expos). It's also the best start in D.C. since 1932, when the Senators — the Twins' predecessor — also went 13-4.

"Hughes pitched a heck of a game," Dozier said. "Offensively, we stunk."