WASHINGTON -- Washington Nationals rookie pitcher Tanner Roark wanted to keep going. cheap jerseys . He had thrown 101 pitches -- 23 more than hed ever thrown in a single game -- but still wasnt ready to call it a night. "I said, Nice game. He said, You sure Im through?" Nationals manager Davey Johnson said as he began to smile. "I said, Yeah, youre through." Roark was through, but Washington certainly isnt. The right-hander threw seven shutout innings, and the Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves 4-0 to sweep a day-night doubleheader Tuesday, ensuring the Braves leave Washington without the NL East title. The Nationals entered the nightcap, which followed their 6-5 win in the makeup of a series opener postponed by a shooting rampage a day earlier at the nearby Navy Yard, within 4 1/2 games of Cincinnati for the NLs second wild-card berth. Washington, which has won 10 of 11, has 11 games remaining. Roark (7-0) allowed just two hits, struck out six and retired the final 13 batters he faced. Johnson even seemed to make up a word -- "posure," apparently a cross between poise and composure -- to describe Roarke. "Its not smoke and mirrors right now," first baseman Adam LaRoche said. "When you get guys coming down to first talking about how good his stuff is, some really good hitters that are praising him, it says a lot." After being called up in August, Roark was making just his third start. "Im just trying to do the same thing as I was doing all year and not trying to change anything," Roark said. "Keep the same mentality, a bulldog mentality, not giving in to anybody in any sense." Roarke and the Nationals got cushion in the eighth inning, when Ryan Zimmerman hit a home run, Ian Desmond hit an RBI double and Adam LaRoche hit an RBI single. Steve Lomardozzi had a second-inning RBI single off Freddy Garcia (1-2). Denard Spans fifth-inning single extended his hitting streak to 28 games, breaking a tie with Colorados Michael Cuddyer for the longest in the major leagues the last two seasons. The Braves have lost nine of 13, but they still lead the division by eight games over Washington despite the sweep. "We need to start playing a little better baseball and start swinging the bats," Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "I like where we are, our position, but theres still baseball games to be played, and weve just got to get back on a roll again." Craig Kimbrel had converted 37 consecutive save chances since early May, and Andrelton Simmons began the day with the second-best fielding percentage among National League shortstops. But they conspired to blow a three-run lead in the ninth inning of the first game. Simmons allowed Spans grounder off Kimbrel to bounce through his legs as two runs scored on the game-ending play. Pinch-hitter Chad Tracy had an RBI grounder against Kimbrel as Washington kept Atlantas magic number at four for clinching the NL East for the first time since the Braves streak of 11 consecutive division titles from 1995-05. A sweep of the day-night doubleheader would have sealed the division for Atlanta. Kimbrel (3-3), who leads the major leagues with 47 saves, blew a save chance for just the fourth time this season. In the ninth, LaRoche walked on a full count, Wilson Ramos reached on an infield single and Anthony Rendon walked on a 3-2 pitch. After Tracys grounder, Atlanta elected to pitch to Span with first base open, and he hit a three-hopper over the mound that rolled past Simmons into centre field. Span was given an RBI, with the second run scoring on the error. Ian Krol (2-1) faced two batters in the ninth, giving Washington its first win in seven home games against Atlanta this year. Before the games, both teams stood in front of their dugouts, heads bowed, and a colour guard was stationed behind home plate during a minute of silence to pay tribute to the people killed Monday and those affected by the shootings. NOTES: RHP Stephen Strasburgs bullpen session Monday went "great," Johnson said. Strasburg is set to start Thursday against Miami after missing Fridays turn due forearm tightness in his pitching arm. . Adm. James Winnefeld, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, greeted players in the Nationals clubhouse before the game, handing out blue and gold Navy caps to wear during warmups. . Freeman became the first Atlanta player with 100 RBIs in a season since Chipper Jones and Jeff Francoeur in 2007. cheap nfl jerseys china . -- Minnesota Twins slugging prospect Miguel Sano will have Tommy John surgery on his throwing arm and miss the 2014 season. cheap jerseys from china . The black mask made its debut Thursday night in James first game since he broke his nose. He said he received word from league officials Friday that they wanted him to instead wear something that would allow opponents to see his face.NEW YORK -- Left-hander Matt Thornton completed his $7 million, two-year contract with the New York Yankees, who cut outfielder Vernon Wells. Thornton gets $3.5 million in each of the next two seasons under the deal, which was agreed to Dec. 17 and announced Friday. His contract raises the Yankees luxury tax payroll for next season to $175.7 million for 13 signed players. Including a pending $2 million, one-year deal for second baseman Brian Roberts and an estimated $11.5 million per team for benefits, New Yorks tax payroll is at $189.2 million -- above the $189 million tax threshold for the upcoming season. However, Alex Rodriguezs $27.5 million luxury-tax salary would disappear if his 211-game suspension is upheld by an arbitrator. The 37-year-old Thornton replaces Boone Logan, who left for a $16.5 million, three-year contract with Colorado. A 10-year big league veteraan, Thornton was 0-4 with a 3. cheap nfl jerseys. 74 ERA in 60 relief appearances last season for the Chicago White Sox and Boston, which acquired him in July for minor league outfielder Brandon Jacobs. Wells, who was designated for assignment, was acquired last March from the Los Angeles Angels and hit .233 with 11 homers and 50 RBIs in 424 at-bats. The 35-year-old, a three-time All-Star, became superfluous when the Yankees signed Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran to join an outfield that already included Brett Gardner, Ichiro Suzuki and Alfonso Soriano. New York is responsible for just $2.4 million of Wells $21 million salary in the final season of his $126 million, seven-year contract, with the Angels paying the Yankees $18.6 million as part of the trade last March. A team that signs Wells would be responsible for just $500,000, the major league minimum. ' ' '
