Hot Rockies end Nationals' 7-game win streak
DENVER -- Charlie Blackmon hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning as the Colorado Rockies overcame a three-run deficit on Monday to beat the Washington Nationals 8-4, ending the Nationals' seven-game winning streak.
The Rockies pulled away with a three-run eighth, a rally that began with five consecutive singles off Blake Treinen. The spree included RBIs from Trevor Story, on a broken-bat hit, and on Tony Wolters' third single. Blackmon picked up his third RBI of the game by grounding into a run-scoring force play to boost the lead to 8-4.
The victory was the fourth straight and seventh in eight games for the Rockies. Their 14-6 record matches the 2011 team for the second-best start in franchise history. The Rockies began the 1997 season 15-5.
What proved to be the game-winning rally began when pinch hitter Pat Valaika turned on left-hander Enny Romero's 96 mph fastball in the seventh and lined it into the left field corner for a two-out double. Blackmon followed with his sixth homer, reaching down for a slider from Romero (1-1) and sending it into the second deck in right field. The homer was Blackmon's third in four games.
The Nationals got six innings from spot starter Jacob Turner, who gave up six hits and three runs with no walks and six strikeouts. He threw 59 of his 84 pitches for strikes.
Held to two singles by Tyler Anderson through five innings, the Nationals struck quickly for four runs in the sixth when they hit for the cycle and knocked him out. Anderson has yet to complete six innings in any of his five starts this season.
Washington's Trea Turner doubled with one out in the sixth, and Adam Eaton followed with a triple on an 0-2 cutter. Those were the first two extra-base hits of the game, and both were hit a long way to center field.
Anthony Rendon took advantage of a favorable count and poked a 3-1 changeup into right, an opposite-field single that put the Nationals ahead. And with two outs, Ryan Zimmerman walloped his seventh homer, a two-run shot that soared an estimated 425 feet over the fence in center. That gave the Nationals a 4-1 lead.
Carlos Estevez (2-0) relieved Anderson and retired the four batters he faced, two on strikeouts.
The Rockies made it a one-run game in the sixth. Nolan Arenado tripled with one out. And with two outs, Mark Reynolds belted his sixth homer and second in three games to trim the Nationals' lead to 4-3.
The Rockies went ahead 1-0 in the second inning on an RBI single by Wolters. Carlos Gonzalez led off with a single, hitting a hard grounder into the shift and off the glove of diving second baseman Daniel Murphy, who was positioned in short right field.
With two outs, Story singled, moving Gonzalez to second, and Wolters lined an opposite-field single through shortstop.
Anderson was the first left-handed starter the Nationals have faced this year. He took the mound with a 7.32 ERA this season, but in the early innings on Monday he resembled the pitcher he was during his rookie season of 2016, when he compiled a 3.54 ERA in 114 1/3 innings.
Anderson wound up charged with four runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings.
NOTES: Nationals RHP Jacob Turner had his contract selected from Triple-A Syracuse, and he made a spot start. He took the roster spot of RHP Stephen Strasburg, who was placed on the paternity list. ... Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon extended his hitting streak to nine games. ... Rockies 1B Ian Desmond (fractured left hand) took batting practice for the first time since he was hit by a pitch March 12. ... Rockies RHP German Marquez joined the team and will be officially recalled Tuesday and start that game. ... Nationals RF Bryce Harper, who was named National League player of the week, and C Matt Wieters were given a rest. Harper grounded out as a pinch hitter.