Rockies at Nationals
Colorado star Nolan Arenado immediately appealed the five-game suspension he was dealt and is expected to again be in the lineup when the Rockies visit the Washington Nationals on Saturday in the third contest of a four-game set. Arenado and teammate Gerardo Parra (four games) were penalized on Friday for their role in Wednesday's melee with the San Diego Padres.
Arenado charged the mound after a pitch from San Diego's Luis Perdomo sailed behind his back and he doesn't agree with the length of his penalty. "Five games is a lot of games, you know," Arenado told reporters. "I was just defending myself. ... They throw hard out there and reactions happen, and that's all it was." The Rockies have won the first two games of the series and have limited Washington to one run in each contest. Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer takes the mound for the Nationals on Saturday but he is just 1-4 with a 4.76 ERA in eight career starts versus Colorado.
TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, A&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Colorado), MASN2 (Washington)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Jon Gray (1-2, 5.63 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Max Scherzer (2-1, 0.90)
Gray was roughed up for seven runs and a career-worst 10 hits while losing to the San Diego Padres in his last turn. The 26-year-old hasn't always fared well on the road, going 9-13 with a 4.21 ERA in 33 career away starts. Gray is 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA in two career starts against the Nationals and has shut down Howie Kendrick (0-for-10, four strikeouts).
Scherzer struck out 10 in a two-hit shutout of Atlanta in his last turn and has fanned 10 in two of his three starts. The 33-year-old has 27 strikeouts against three walks in 20 innings while posting a 0.80 WHIP and holding opposing batters to a .178 average. Scherzer has served up three homers to Carlos Gonzalez in 12 at-bats while holding down Arenado (1-for-7, four strikeouts) and Parra (1-for-11).
WALK-OFFS
1. The Rockies have prevailed in six of the past seven games at Washington.
2. Nationals RF Bryce Harper drove in his team's run with a sacrifice fly on Friday but is just 2-for-17 over his past five games.
3. Colorado CF Charlie Blackmon (quadriceps) did running drills prior to Friday's game but is expected to miss his fifth straight contest.