Nationals hammer Rockies with homers
DENVER -- Daniel Murphy, Ryan Zimmerman and Trea Turner hit home runs Wednesday night to power the Washington Nationals to an 11-4 win over the Colorado Rockies.
The victory was the ninth in 10 games for the Nationals.
Washington starter Tanner Roark (3-0) struggled with his command but made it through five innings and left with a 5-2 lead.
Bryce Harper went 4-for-4 with a double, walk and RBI in his fifth career four-hit game and second this year.
After hitting for the cycle Tuesday night, Turner finished a triple shy of doing it again. Zimmerman, who had three hits, had three RBIs as did Murphy.
Rockies starter Tyler Chatwood (2-3), winner of his previous two starts, gave up the homers to Turner and Zimmerman while working a season-low five innings.
The Nationals blew the game open with a four-run seventh. A two-out rally was highlighted by Murphy's three-run homer.
Colorado's Chris Rusin worked the sixth and retired the bottom of the order and then retired the first two batters he faced in the seventh.
But consecutive singles by Turner, Harper and Zimmerman netted a run before Murphy drove his fourth homer of the season into the right field stands.
The Nationals tacked on two runs in the eighth when Turner doubled home a run after first baseman Mark Reynolds' throwing error and scored on Harper's single.
The Nationals have scored 26 runs on 28 hits while winning two straight from the Rockies. Chatwood and German Marquez, the Rockies' starters and losers in those two losses, have allowed 17 hits and 13 runs in nine innings.
The loss was the most lopsided this season for the Rockies, who have dropped two straight for the second time this season.
The Rockies started to dig out of a five-run hole in the fifth. They loaded the bases when Tony Wolters singled with one out and pinch-hitter Cristhian Adames and Charlie Blackmon walked.
Tanner Roark issued a third consecutive walk to DJ LeMahieu to force in a run, and Nolan Arenado grounded into a run-scoring force play to cut Washington's lead to 5-2.
Roark ended the inning and his season high-tying 104-pitch outing by striking out Carlos Gonzalez, who swung at a curveball and missed, slammed his bat to the ground in disgust and broke it.
A three-batter span produced three runs for the Nationals in the fifth and increased their lead to 5-0. Turner, who hit for the cycle and drove in seven runs Tuesday, belted his second homer to give the Nationals a 3-0 lead. He drove Chatwood's 1-0 fastball an estimated 437 feet over the wall in center.
Chatwood then walked Harper, and Zimmerman followed with an opposite-field homer to right, connecting on a 2-1 fastball for his eighth homer of the season.
That inning finished Chatwood, who gave up season highs in hits (eight) and runs (five) in a season-low five innings with three walks and four strikeouts.
Chatwood got ahead of Roark 0-2 but walked him on six pitches to load the bases. That pitching sin immediately proved costly when Adam Eaton followed with a two-run single to give the Nationals a 2-0 lead.
NOTES: Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon extended his hitting streak to 11 games. ... Rockies RF Carlos Gonzalez played his 1,000th game with the team. ... Rockies RHP Chad Qualls (forearm tightness) was reinstated after beginning the season on the 10-day disabled list and gave up two runs (one earned) in 1 1/3 innings..Rockies LHP Mike Dunn (back spasms) was placed on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to Sunday. ... Nationals LHP Matt Grace was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse and pitched the final 1 1/3 innings. ... Nationals RHP Koda Glover (left hip impingement) was placed on the 10-day disabled list.