Nationals 15, Rockies 6
DENVER - The Washington Nationals, aided by some shoddy Colorado pitching, broke a six-game losing streak Tuesday by blasting the Rockies 15-6.
The win was only the 10th in 30 games for the slumping Nationals, enabling them to even their record at 59-59 and remain 4 1/2 games behind the New York Mets in the National League East. The Mets won at Baltimore on Tuesday.
The 15 runs were the most allowed by the Rockies this season. The Nationals broke loose for four runs in the eighth and four more in the ninth. They scored five of their first seven runs with two outs and added another such run in the eighth.
Rockies pitchers helped the Nationals' cause. They issued 10 walks (one intentional), and eight of those runners scored. The Nationals also scored two runs on wild pitches and a Rockies' balk led to another run.
Left fielder Kyle Parker pulled the Rockies into a 6-6 tie in the sixth when he hit his second home run. He drove a 1-2 curveball from Jordan Zimmermann (9-8) into the left field stands, but Zimmermann ended up with the victory when the Nationals quickly took the lead.
Washington saw leads of 2-0 and 6-4 vanish but went ahead for good 7-6 in the seventh. Justin Miller (1-2) issued two walks before Michael Taylor's run-scoring single with two outs in the seventh gave the Nationals the lead. Miller issued one walk in 12 innings in his first 12 appearances but has walked seven in 5 1/3 innings in his past six outings.
Washington's four-run eighth largely came at the expense of Tommy Kahnle, whom the Rockies removed from the closer's role Tuesday. He gave up one hit and four runs with three walks, one intentional. Scott Oberg inherited two runners from Kahnle and both scored.
The Nationals finished the rout in the ninth against Christian Friedrich, who took over in that inning for Oberg and allowed three runs on three hits and a walk.
Shortstop Jose Reyes had four hits for the Rockies. Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper recorded four walks and four runs scored - both career highs. Shortstop Ian Desmond had four RBIs for the Nationals and third baseman Yunel Escobar hit a two-run homer in the first and drove in three runs while scoring four.
Third baseman Nolan Arenado's two-out double in the fifth trimmed the Nationals' lead to 6-5.
The Nationals scored with two outs in the fifth on David Hale's wild pitch to go ahead 6-4. It was his second wild pitch of the inning in which he also yielded a walk and shortstop Ian Desmond's single.
Hale, who came off the disabled list following a left groin strain, made his first start for the Rockies since July 4 and struggled. He worked five innings, only one of them scoreless, and threw 105 pitches.
Second baseman Danny Espinosa's two-out double in the fourth gave the Nationals a 5-4 lead. The hit scored right fielder Jayson Werth, who had singled.
A two-run third enabled the Nationals to tie the game at 4. Escobar drove in a run with a single, as did shortstop Ian Desmond. He tapped a ball that catcher Nick Hundley picked up about 15 feet in front of home plate, but Hundley slipped and didn't make a throw to first.
Reyes hit his first homer as a Rockie to give his team a 4-2 lead in the second. Colorado scored three runs in the first, two on right fielder Carlos Gonzalez's 28th homer and a third on Desmond's error.
Desmond muffed Hundley's two-out grounder enabling Arenado, who had followed Carlos Gonzalez's homer with a double and moved to third on a ground out, to score.
NOTES: Rockies RF Carlos Gonzalez left the game after the fifth inning with right knee inflammation and is listed day-to-day. ... Rockies RHP John Axford has been reinstated as the closer, a role he lost after a slump late last month. ... Rockies RHP Chad Bettis (right elbow inflammation) will make his second rehab start on Thursday. He is scheduled to throw 80-85 pitches for Triple-A Albuquerque at Nashville. ... Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood is scheduled to throw 20 pitches to hitters Wednesday in his second simulated game as he continues his comeback from his second Tommy John surgery on July 24, 2014. ... Rockies RHP David Hale (left groin strain) was activated to start against the Nationals. He had been on the 15-day disabled list since July 10. LHP Ken Roberts was optioned Monday to Triple -A Albuquerque to clear a roster spot for Hale. ... Nationals LF Jayson Werth led off for the first time since April 19, 2013. ... Nationals 2B Dan Uggla (back spasm) began a rehab assignment with low Class A Hagerstown. ... Nationals CF Denard Span (back tightness) was scheduled to play five innings for Hagerstown in his second rehab game after playing three innings Sunday in center field for High Class A Potomac.