After two quiet frames to start the ballgame the Nationals were first to get on the board with a two-run third.
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Making his 106th appearance of the 2016 regular season on Tuesday against the Rockies, he now owns the longest on-base streak in the major leagues this year.
The Rockies have now lost eight of their last nine games. “I didn’t have whole lot of opportunity in that last at-bat”. This is another one. Really, if we needed him to, in a pinch, if we had to – and I hope we dont – we could throw him in the outfield.
“But we tend to rise to the occasion”. The Nationals defeated the Rockies 5-4.
Colorado ranks in the top 10 of the league when it comes to home runs, hitting 151 this season. That is not worthy of the postseason. Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood (mid-back strain) was placed on the 15-disabled list retroactive to Monday, one day after his back bothered him in a start at Philadelphia. They square off against title contenders such as the Cubs, Nationals and Dodgers. This week could be Colorado’s Waterloo. Strasburg pitches Wednesday against the Rockies.
LeMahieu kick-started the Rockies’ offense in the third inning, tying the game at 2-2 with a 446-foot, two-run homer to center field off Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez. David Dahl hit a two-run double with the bases loaded and Daniel Descalso added a sacrifice fly. After a rain delay of more than two hours ended the night of Rockies starter Chad Bettis, Rusin bridged the gap to the back end of the bullpen with three efficient, scoreless innings. His only victory over Colorado came when he pitched for the Detroit Tigers in 2012.
Nats’ catcher Wilson Ramos now leads all major league catchers in OBP (.379), SLG (.546) and RBI’s (66) and he is tied for the lead in home runs with Jonathan Lucroy (19).
Scherzer (12-7, 2.95 ERA, 0.94 WHIP) gave up three runs in the first, and didn’t make it to the fifth, giving up four runs on seven hits in four innings of work, on 97 pitches. Swanson hit.261 with eight homers and six stolen bases in 84 games with Double-A MS this season.
Max Scherzer, who is 12-7 with a 2.80 ERA and leads the majors with 208 strikeouts, will start Monday for the Nationals.
But the Rockies unraveled in the seventh. Trea Turner led off with a single against reliever Jordan Lyles, then stole second on catcher Nick Hundley.
Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper went 3-for-3 with two doubles, one RBI and two walks in the series opener. “A lot of guys, you can tell if the team won and they got hits, and if the team lost, they’d be kind of happy if they got their hits”. It came against Blake Treinen, who entered Monday’s game to face Arenado and got him to ground into an inning-ending double play with runners on first and second in the seventh and the game tied at 4.
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The Nationals started the second game of three with the Rockies ranked second in the NL in home runs (156), fourth in run scored (556) and 4th in walks (405).
