Nationals use 11-run inning to rout Rockies
DENVER -- The Washington Nationals erupted for 11 runs in the seventh inning Thursday and crushed the Colorado Rockies 16-5 with another stunning offensive display.
While winning the final three games of a four-game series, the Nationals outscored the Rockies 42-21. The Rockies bullpen, which allowed 20 runs in the first 19 games, was torched for 26 runs in the past three games.
Adam Eaton, Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy homered for the Nationals, whose 19 hits gave them 47 in the past three games, including seven homers.
Gio Gonzalez (3-0) gave up two runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings.
The Nationals sent 15 batters to the plate in their seventh-inning outburst, which included eight hits and three walks and made the score 15-2.
The first run scored on first baseman Mark Reynolds' throwing error. Eaton led off with a double, took third on a fly to right and scored when Reynolds snared Harper's grounder, scrambled to his feet but threw the ball in the Nationals dugout, allowing Eaton to score.
Carlos Estevez then yielded three straight hits, including a double by Murphy and single by Adam Lind that netted runs. Estevez intentionally walked No. 8 hitter Wilmer Difo to get to Gonzalez but walked him to force in a run.
Jordan Lyles came on and forced in a run with a bases-loaded walk to Eaton and then gave up a two-run single to Trea Turner and Harper's eighth home run, a three-run shot off the back wall of the Rockies bullpen in right-center that went an estimated 451 feet. Murphy singled and scored on Lind's double.
Rockies' pitchers walked a Washington pitcher in each of the past three games.
Gonzalez was hitless in 10 at-bats this season when he grounded a ball up the middle that shortstop Trevor Story knocked down for an infield single with two outs in the sixth. The hit gave the Nationals a 4-2 lead and came after Antonio Senzatela hit Jayson Werth with a one-out pitch, and Matt Wieters followed with a single.
Werth and Wieters pulled off a double steal on the first pitch to Difo, who eventually popped out. On Gonzalez's hit, Wieters went too far around third base and was thrown out to end the inning.
Senzatela (3-1) gave up a career-high four runs on seven hits and three walks with one strikeout in six innings.
Eaton drove one of Senzatela's rare changeups into the right-field stands for his second homer, giving the Nationals a 3-2 lead.
Gonzalez issued consecutive one-out walks in the fourth and paid for it when Pat Valaika singled, tying the game at 2 and putting runners on the corners. But Gonzalez then got Dustin Garneau to ground into a double play.
Murphy's run-scoring ground out in the third gave the Nationals a 2-1 lead. Turner opened the inning with a double into the left-field corner and took third when Harper grounded to second.
Senzatela issued consecutive one-out walks in the second, and Difo doubled off the wall in right-center to knot the game at 1 after Colorado's Nolan Arenado hit his seventh homer in the first.
NOTES: Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon extended his hitting streak to 12 games, two short of his career high. ...Nationals RHP Stephen Strasburg was activated from paternity list and will start Saturday against the Mets. ...Nationals LHP Matt Grace was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. ...Nationals 1B Ryan Zimmerman and 3B Anthony Rendon were rested. ...Rockies 1B Ian Desmond (fractured left hand) will go to extended spring training and play there Friday and Saturday and could be reinstated Sunday...Rockies INF Pat Valaika made his first career start in left field and his second appearance at that position. He played one inning there Tuesday. ...Rockies RF Carlos Gonzalez was given a planned day off.