Rockies 6, Nationals 4
WASHINGTON -- DJ LeMahieu, who entered the game to play second base in the seventh inning on a double switch, had a two-run single with two outs in the eighth to break a 4-4 tie and the Colorado Rockies beat the Washington Nationals 6-4 on Sunday.
The game-winning hit came against Drew Storen (2-2), the former closer who also blew a three-run lead in the eighth inning Friday. Tommy Kahnle pitched the ninth for the Rockies and got his second save of the series as he got shortstop Ian Desmond on a grounder for the final out with the bases loaded.
Carlos Gonzalez, the Rockies right fielder, hit two solo homers to give him three in the series and 25 on the year. Gonzalez hit a grand slam off Storen in Friday's comeback win. The winning pitcher Sunday was John Axford (4-5), who came on in the seventh and pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless ball.
Washington first baseman Ryan Zimmerman had three hits and also smashed two solo homers but the Nationals remained 1 1/2 games back of the first-place New York Mets in National League East. Colorado (47-62) won two of three games in the series and is 13-8 against the National League East. Second-place Washington (57-53) ended the homestand 3-4 and has lost seven of its last 10.
The Nationals had tied the game at 4-4 in the sixth when left fielder Jayson Werth scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of center fielder Michael A. Taylor. The ball was fielded by Gold Glove third baseman Nelson Arenado but his throw home hit Werth and allowed him to score.
Gonzalez hit his second solo shot of the game in the sixth to the game at 3-3 off Washington starter Max Scherzer. It was the fourth multi-homer game this year for Gonzalez and the 14th of his career.
Later in the inning, left fielder Kyle Parker, following a two-out intentional walk, ripped an RBI single to give the Rockies a 4-3 lead. The Rockies cut the lead to 3-2 with a solo homer in the fourth by Daniel Descalso.
Washington grabbed a 3-1 edge in the third on Zimmerman's second solo homer of the game off starter Yohan Flande. It was the first time Zimmerman had hit more than one homer in a game since Sept. 7, 2013, in Miami.
The Nationals took a 2-1 lead in the second on back-to-back homers by Zimmerman and Werth. Both players came off the disabled list July 28 and both have hit well below their career average this season. Zimmerman entered the game with an average of .219 while Werth was hitting .188. It was the first time the Nationals had hit back-to-back homers since Aug. 29, 2014, in Seattle.
Colorado had grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first when Gonzalez hit his first homer.
Scherzer gave up four runs and eight hits, including three homers, in six innings but was not involved in the decision. The first six runs of the game came on solo homers. Flande allowed six hits, and also three homers, and three runs in 4 2/3 innings but also did not factor in the decision. First baseman Ben Paulsen also had two hits for the Rockies.
NOTES: Washington will begin a three-city road trip on Monday at Los Angeles with LHP Gio Gonzalez (8-4, 3.75 ERA) going for the Nationals against Dodgers LHP Brett Anderson (6-6, 3.06 ERA). ... Colorado RHP Jon Gray (0-0, 4.50 ERA) will start on Monday in the New York against Mets LHP Jonathan Niese (6-9, 3.51 ERA). ... Colorado CF Charlie Blackmon, who had two doubles off Stephen Strasburg on Saturday, entered play Sunday as the National League leader among leadoff men in RBIs (46) and extra-base hits (42). ... Washington RF Bryce Harper reached base in 34 of his previous 35 games before Sunday, and led the majors in hitting (.337), slugging (.663) and on-base average (.466). ... The Nationals voided the option of RHP Aaron Barrett and placed him on the 15-day disabled list with a right elbow sprain, retroactive to Thursday. Barrett had been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday. He is 3-3 with a 4.60 ERA in 40 games out of the bullpen for Washington.