Baker: Roark, not Strasburg, to start postponed Game 4

Shortly after rain forced the league to postpone Game 4 of the National League Division Series on Tuesday night, Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker confirmed that Tanner Roark - not Stephen Strasburg - will start his club's now rescheduled must-win game against the Chicago Cubs.

The postponement enables Strasburg - who allowed two unearned runs and struck out 10 over seven impressive innings in the series opener - to start Game 4 on regular rest, but Baker decided against it, telling reporters the 29-year-old right-hander is "under the weather." He also said Strasburg threw a bullpen session Tuesday in anticipation of starting Thursday, rendering him unavailable to start Wednesday once the postponement was announced.

"We have full confidence in Tanner," Baker said, per Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. "Stras is feeling under the weather, like a lot of my team is. This day actually comes as a plus."

Strasburg will start Game 5, though, Baker said, if the Nationals win Wednesday afternoon.

Roark, then, remains tasked with keeping Washington's season alive, as the NL East champions find themselves down 2-1 in the best-of-five series following Monday's 2-1 loss at Wrigley Field. After finishing 10th in NL Cy Young voting last year, Roark regressed significantly in 2017, putting up a career-worst 4.67 ERA (95 ERA+) and 1.34 WHIP over 30 starts and a pair of relief appearances.

In three career postseason appearances - including one start in last year's NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers - Roark owns a 3.86 ERA with a 1.86 WHIP over seven innings.