Washington Nationals drop second straight to Colorado Rockies, 10-6 in day half of the doubleheader in D.C.

Erick Fedde impressed at times, but struggled to put Colorado Rockies’ hitters away in a four-inning outing in his MLB debut.

Fedde, 24, and the Washington Nationals’ 2014 1st Round pick, gave up 10 hits total and seven runs (five earned) in his relatively brief start, but showed flashes of what made him so attractive to the Nats even after he suffered a torn UCL in his draft year.

Rockies’ hitters were patient against the right-hander, however, and knocked him out early as they jumped out to a 7-4 lead in the fourth and went on to take the day half of today’s split doubleheader by a final score of 10-6.

Ryan Zimmerman hit a three-run, opposite field home run in the third, momentarily tying things up at 4-4, and passing Washington Senators’ great Frank Howard for the all-time home run lead in D.C. baseball history in the process.

Howard, ever the gentleman, said he was happy for the Nationals’ first baseman.

“You want to know how I feel about it? Nobody is happier for him than me,” Howard said.

Zimmerman’s third inning blast and Wilmer Difo’s first inning home run accounted for all the Nationals’ runs through six, then Zimmerman went deep again in the Nats’ half of the seventh, taking Pat Neshek deep to right and off the facade of the second deck to get the Nats within three, down 8-5, but they ended up dropping their second straight to the Rockies in D.C., 10-6 final.

Nationals now 61-41

HERE’S HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Erick Fedde gave up two-strike singles on a 1-2 slider to Charlie Blackmon and a 2-2 fastball to DJ LeMahieu in the top of the first inning of his MLB debut, and the 2014 Nationals’ first round pick went to a full count with Nolan Arenado before walking the Rockies’ third baseman to load’em up with no one out. Fedde got a 4-6-3 DP out of Gerardo Parra, but the Rockies scored a run on the play, 1-0, and LeMahieu scored on a two-out single to right by Raimel Tapia, who went down for an 0-1 slider and lined it softly to right, 2-0 after one.

• Wilmer Difo cut the Rockies’ lead in half with one swing, hit a no-doubter to left field on a first-pitch fastball from Kyle Freeland with one down in the Nationals’ half of the first inning, 2-1. Difo’s 4th.

• Fedde struck out the side in a 15-pitch first, and threw strikes to the first ten batters he faced through two innings.

• Charlie Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu were both 2 for 2 after Blackmon singled to center and scored on a double to the right-center gap by LeMahieu in the third, 3-1.

Nolan Arenado singled to put runners on the corners with one down, and Fedde got a 6-3 DP that out of Parra, 4-1.

• Brian Goodwin doubled to right and Wilmer Difo reached on a throwing error by Nolan Arenado in the first two at bats of the Nats’ third, and one out later, Ryan Zimmerman went with a first-pitch fastball outside from Freeland and powered it out to right for a game-tying, three-run, opposite field home run.

• Carlos Gonzalez singled to start the fourth, and scored after a walk to Trevor Story, on an RBI single to right by Ryan Hanigan. Story appeared to be out at third on a throw in by Bryce Harper, but the umpires ruled that Adrian Sanchez interfered with Story on the way to third, so he was given the base, 5-4.

Charlie Blackmon was 3 for 3 vs Fedde after he followed with an RBI single to right, 6-4.

Nolan Arenado connected for the fourth hit of the inning, lining a 3-2 fastball to center to drive in another run, 7-4.

• Erick Fedde’s Line: 4.0 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 Ks, 87 P, 57 S, 7/0 GO/FO.

• Matt Grace took over for the Nationals in the fifth, and retired the side in order in 14-pitch frame, but he gave up a run in the sixth on an RBI double by DJ LeMahieu, who put the Rockies up 8-4.

• Enny Romero struck out three batters in a 19-pitch top of the seventh, and Ryan Zimmerman made it a three-run game with his second home run of the day, this one off Pat Neshek, an opposite field blast that bounced off the faced off the second deck in right field. 8-5 Rockies.

• Charlie Blackmon singled off Joe Blanton in the Rockies’ eighth, and scored on an RBI triple by Nolan Arenado to make it 9-5 after seven and a half.

• Oliver Perez gave up another run in the top of the ninth when Raimel Tapia doubled and scored on a double by Ryan Hanigan to make it 10-5.

• Mike Dunn, after handling the eighth, came back out for the ninth and gave up back-to-back singles by Brian Goodwin and Wilmer Difo. One out later, Ryan Zimmerman got on via walk to load the bases and force the Rockies to go to their closer, Greg Holland, who gave up an RBI single to right by Anthony Rendon, 10-6, but Howie Kendrick hit in to a game-ending double play... or did he? The call stood in spite of convincing video evidence that Trevor Story was not on the bag at second base.

Final Score: 10-6 Rockies.

NATIONALS PREGAME NOTES:

• With last night’s loss, the Washington Nationals are now 36-50 in the all-time series with the Colorado Rockies, though the Nats are 17-13 vs the Rox since the start of the 2013 season.
• Before today’s game, the Rockies were, 27-26 on the road overall this season, having dropped 16 of their past 19 road games.
• Ryan Zimmerman (237) started the day a home run away from passing Senators’ great Frank Howard for the all-time home run lead in D.C. baseball history. He got No. 238 in the third inning. Congrats, Zim.
• Bryce Harper’s 19-game hit streak ended last night, but over the course of his career-best stretch, the 24-year-old slugger went 33 for 77 (.429) with seven doubles, a triple, nine home runs, 12 walks, and 26 runs scored.
• In today’s Rockies-themed “Fun with Arbitrary End Points” segment: Gerardo Parra leads the National League with a .480 batting average... in July (24-for-50).
• Anthony Rendon started the day half of today’s doubleheader at an NL-leading 5.2 fWAR, which was the third-highest total in the majors, behind only the Astros’ Jose Altuve (5.5) and Yankees’ Aaron Judge (5.8).
• This Day in Nationals’ History: July 30, 2011 - “Jayson Werth homered and Yunesky Maya earned his first MLB win as the Nationals beat the Mets, 3-0.”
• Erick Fedde entered the 2017 season ranked as the No. 2 prospect in Washington’s Minor League system according to Baseball America, behind only Victor Robles on BA’s list.

Nationals now 61-41