Nationals 4, Rockies 1
DENVER -- Jayson Werth tripled home two runs in the eighth inning Wednesday night, breaking a tie as the Washington Nationals beat the Colorado Rockies 4-1.
Both teams scored runs on wild pitches, and the Nationals scored all their runs with two outs as they won back-to-back games for the first time since July 29-30.
Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg (7-6) won for the first time in three starts at Coors Field, where he took the mound 0-2 with a 5.56 ERA. He allowed one unearned run and two hits in seven innings with no walks and five strikeouts. Strasburg and two relievers combined to retire the final 16 Rockies batters. The win was the 50th of Strasburg's career.
The Nationals tacked on a run in the ninth on a single by first baseman Ryan Zimmerman. The hit scored third baseman Yunel Escobar, who singled off John Axford with one out, stole second and took third on a fly to right.
Rafael Betancourt (2-4) retired the first two batters he faced in the eighth before catcher Wilson Ramos singled and pinch-hitter Clint Robinson walked, bringing up Werth, who was 8-for-47 (.170) with runners in scoring position and 3-for-23 (.130) with runners in scoring position and two outs.
Gonzalez Germen came on in the seventh and gave up a two-out double to right fielder Bryce Harper, whose sinking line drive hit sliding center fielder Charlie Blackmon in the right leg. Germen walked third baseman Yunel Escobar on four pitches and walked shortstop Ian Desmond on five pitches to load the bases.
Germen threw a wild pitch on his first offering to Zimmerman, tying the score at 1. Harper dashed home, and although catcher Nick Hundley's underhand toss went over Germen's head, Escobar went too far around third and was thrown out on a play that went 4-5.
A mounting pitch count, not the Nationals batters, forced Rockies starter Jorge De La Rosa from the game after six scoreless innings. He allowed four hits and a season-high tying six walks, one was intentional, and six strikeouts. De La Rosa threw a season-high 110 pitches, just 60 strikes.
After scoring nine of their 15 runs in the final three innings Tuesday night, the Nationals scored all four of their runs in the final three innings. Closer Jonathan Papelbon earned his 20th save in as many opportunities and his third with the Nationals, since they acquired him from Philadelphia on July 28.
The Rockies scored an unearned run in the second off Strasburg to go ahead 1-0. With one out, Ben Paulsen reached second base on an error by Zimmerman, who was unable to backhand Paulsen's grounder.
Second baseman DJ LeMahieu's grounder to Zimmerman moved Paulsen to third, and Paulsen scored on Strasburg's wild pitch.
Werth grounded a double inside third base with one out in the fifth and took third on a groundout, bringing up Harper. De La Rosa got the right fielder to swing and miss a 2-2 changeup to end the threat.
De La Rosa gave up consecutive two-out singles in the first but got shortstop Ian Desmond to hit into a force play. In the fourth, De La Rosa issued back-to-back walks with two outs but got catcher Wilson Ramos to ground out.
NOTES: Rockies C Michael McKenry was placed on the 60-day disabled list with a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee. He will undergo surgery Monday. ... The Rockies selected the contract of C Dustin Garneau from Triple-A Albuquerque, where he was hitting .281 with 15 homers and 62 RBIs in 81 games. He will be making his major league debut. ... Colorado RF Carlos Gonzalez was in the lineup. He left the Tuesday game after the fifth inning because of right knee inflammation. ... Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood threw 20 pitches to hitters in his second simulated game and was fine. He is scheduled to throw 25 pitches to hitters Sunday as he continues his recovery from his second Tommy John surgery July 24, 2014. ... Washington 2B Dan Uggla (back spasms) began a rehab assignment with low Class A Hagerstown, while Nationals RHP David Carpenter (right shoulder inflammation) began his assignment with high Class A Potomac.