Roark: Cubs walking Harper was 'scared baseball'

Tanner Roark doesn't think too highly of the Chicago Cubs' avoidance tactics.

The Washington Nationals starter gave up one unearned run over six innings on Sunday, but saw his excellent start evaporate into an extra-inning Cubs victory thanks partially to the home side pitching around Bryce Harper and walking him six times.

"I think it's scared baseball," Roark told reporters, after saying the Cubs' strategy left him "very, very surprised."

Harper was allowed to take his base in favor of facing Ryan Zimmerman seven times - six by walk, once on a hit-by-pitch. Each time, Zimmerman validated the Cubs' choice, and eventually left a major-league record 14 runners stranded. That was just the outcome Joe Maddon was hoping for.

"(Because of) how good he is - why tempt fate?" the Cubs manager told reporters. "If the other guy gets you, that's fine. You have no problem with that."

Unlike his pitcher, Nationals manager Dusty Baker understood why the Cubs pitched around the reigning NL MVP, and knows more teams will follow suit until the rest of the lineup picks up some of the slack.

"The fans didn't come here to see him walk. They come here to see him swing the bat," Baker said. "But until we start swinging the bat behind him, that's going to be the norm."