Nationals at Rockies
Max Scherzer carries a hot streak into one of the few places he has yet to solve when he leads the Washington Nationals into the first of three games at the Colorado Rockies on Monday. Scherzer, who owns a 1.44 ERA over his last eight starts, is 0-3 with a 5.32 ERA in four career starts at Coors Field.
Fortunately for Scherzer, he will be facing a Rockies team that has dropped seven of eight and nine of its last 11, including three in a row at Philadelphia over the weekend. The Nationals are coming off a 5-3 homestand capped by Sunday's 9-1 rout of the Atlanta Braves, which kept Washington 8 1/2 games clear of the pack in the National League East. Bryce Harper (neck) returned from a five-game absence to go 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored, while Anthony Rendon homered and drove in four runs. The Nationals will need to be wary of red-hot center fielder Charlie Blackmon, who has gone deep six times in the last four games for the Rockies.
TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), ROOT (Colorado)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Max Scherzer (12-7, 2.80 ERA) vs. Rockies LH Jorge De La Rosa (7-7, 5.25)
Scherzer has struck out at least 10 batters in his last two outings and has seven such efforts in his last 11 starts. He was a hard-luck loser his last time out after giving up two runs (one earned) and three hits in seven innings of a 3-1 loss to Cleveland on Tuesday. The 32-year-old has done well against most Colorado hitters, although Carlos Gonzalez is 3-for-10 with three homers and a pair of walks versus the four-time All-Star.
De La Rosa, who will be pitching in his 300th career game (235th start), gave up three runs in five innings in a no-decision at Texas on Wednesday. He has allowed three or fewer runs in 10 of his last 11 starts and surrendered only one home run over a span of six appearances. The 35-year-old is 5-2 with a 3.71 ERA in 10 starts against the Nationals.
WALK-OFFS
1. Nationals LF Jayson Werth has reached base in a career-high 42 straight games, the longest streak in the majors this season and one shy of 1B Ryan Zimmerman's club record in 2009.
2. Blackmon is 23-for-42 with eight home runs, 14 RBIs and seven multi-hit games over his last nine contests.
3. Washington 2B/OF Trea Turner is 9-for-19 with seven runs scored during his four-game hitting streak.