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Washington Nationals drop 6-2 decision to Colorado Rockies on rainy night in Denver

The Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies were interrupted by rain in Denver, CO’s Coors Field and when play resumed after a 2 hour, 5 minute delay, the Rockies evened the series up with a 6-2 win.

By Patrick Reddington
Washington Nationals v Colorado Rockies Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

A two-hour, five-minute rain delay after three innings in Denver’s Coors Field knocked both starters out of the second game of the Washington’s Nationals’ three-game set with the Colorado Rockies.

When the game, which began at 8:40 PM EDT, restarted in the top of the fourth at 11:52 PM on the East Coast, it was tied up at 2-2, after Rockies’ second baseman DJ LeMahieu had hit a two-run homer off Gio Gonzalez to even things up in the third.

LeMahieu, who was 4 for 4 last night in the series opener, improved to 7 for 7 with his third hit of the night, a one-out triple in the fifth, then scored the go-ahead run on a groundout that made it 3-2 after five.

The Rockies went on to win, 6-2, as they evened things up in the three-game series and set up a rubber match in the finale at 3:10 PM... this afternoon.

Here’s how it happened:

Jayson Werth, who extended his on-base streak to a franchise-best (2005-present) 44-straight games, and Daniel Murphy hit back-to-back one-out singles in the top of the third inning and a wild pitch from Rockies’ right-hander Chad Bettis allowed Werth to take third base before he scored on a groundout by Bryce Harper, 1-0.

Murphy came around too, on a long single to right by Wilson Ramos, who hit a first-pitch slider off the outfield wall to bring Murphy in and make it 2-0 after two and a half.

It was tied at 2-2 a half-inning later, however, after Charlie Blackmon doubled with one down and scored when DJ LeMahieu hit a 3-2 curve from Gio Gonzalez out to deep left-center for his ninth HR of the season.

That’s when the rain came... and it hung around for a while, knocking both Bettis and Gonzalez out of the game.

Gio Gonzalez’s Line: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 Ks, 1 HR, 60 P, 36 S, 5/0, GO/FO.

Chris Rusin took over on the mound for the home team when play resumed, while Yusmeiro Petit came on for the visiting Nationals.

Petit gave up a one-out triple by DJ LeMahieu in the fifth, leaving the Rockies’ second baseman 7 for 7 in the series, and he scored on a groundout to third by Nolan Arenado, that made it 3-2 Colorado after five.

Oliver Perez gave up a one-out double and a walk in the Rockies’ half of the seventh to put two on before he was lifted.

Blake Treinen got squeezed by home plate ump Mark Carlson as he walked the bases loaded with a free pass to LeMahieu and Nolan Arenado hit a sac fly to center to put the Rockies up, 4-2.

Pinch hitter David Dahl drove in two more with a double to left that made it a 6-2 game. That’s how it ended... five hours after it started.

Rubber match this afternoon at 3:10 PM EDT in Coors Field.

Nationals now 70-48

NATS NOTES:

  • Washington’s 70-47 record after last night’s win was the second-best in the majors, behind only the Chicago Cubs’ 74-43 mark.
  • The Nationals’ +143 run differential was the second-base in the majors as well, behind only, again, the Cubs (+194).
  • The Nationals started the second game of three with the Rockies ranked second in the NL in home runs (156), fourth in run scored (556) and 4th in walks (405).
  • In today’s Nationals-themed “Fun with Arbitrary End Points” segment: Trea Turner is 10 for 24 (.416 AVG) with two doubles, a triple, a home run, four steals and eight runs scored... in his last five games.
  • Over the last 19 games, Turner is 28 for 84 (.333 AVG) with five doubles, three triples, three home runs, three walks, nine steals and 18 runs scored.
  • Nats’ catcher Wilson Ramos currently leads all major league catchers in OBP (.379), SLG (.546) and RBI’s (66) and he is tied for the lead in home runs with Jonathan Lucroy (19).
  • Daniel Murphy starts the night leading the NL in AVG (.347), SLG (.612), OPS (.999), doubles (tied, 34), hits (tied, 144) and multi-hit games (45).
  • Jayson Werth tied the franchise record (2005-present) when he reached base for the 43rd straight game, tying the mark Ryan Zimmerman set in 2009.
  • Werth is now one game behind Tim Raines and three games behind Rusty Staub for the longest on-base streak in the the all-time franchise record books, which include the Montreal Expos.
  • Werth has collected 40 hits and 31 walks over the course of his on-base streak, with a .314/.384/.714 line over the course of the streak.

Nationals now 70-48

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