Rockies Top Nationals 5-1 In Washington
The Colorado Rockies (32-51) combined great pitching with solid hitting en route to a 5-1 win over the Washington Nationals (48-33) last night in DC. Colorado starter Drew Pomeranz threw 6 1/3 shutout innings and Tyler Colvin hit a pair of home runs. Game 2 of the three-game series is this afternoon at 2:05 MT at Nationals Park (TV: Root Sports).
Pomeranz (1-3) found within himself a potential ace, and he unleashed himself with full fury Friday. Throwing fastballs on all but seven of his 81 pitches, Pomeranz struck out six, shattered four bats, walked two and held the Nats to the softest of hits, a Bryce Harper bloop single to open the fourth. Center fielder Dexter Fowler should have caught it, but read it poorly, and actually started back before futilely coming forward.
"I was getting things right, but I was getting too mechanical," said Pomeranz, who went from 88-91 mph on his fastball at the start of this season to a consistent 92-95 on Friday. "Instead of letting it go, I was making sure, and my tempo was a little slower. Once I started doing it, I just said, 'Look, I gotta do this. Grab it and throw it.'"
The Nationals simply couldn't hit it. It was Pomeranz's second dominating start since his return. He held the Padres to one unearned run and two hits, and broke a stunning 10 bats, in a no-decision lost by his bullpen on Sunday.
Official: Friday's Box Score.
Rockies' Tyler Colvin swatted a 97-mph fastball into the bullpen in right for a solo homer in the second inning. Colvin also ended an eight-pitch at-bat by lifting an 88-mph changeup over the wall in right-center for two runs in the fourth to become the first player to homer twice off Strasburg in the same game.
Colvin went 3-for-4 and improved his home run total to 13. Since June 9, he is hitting .372 (29-for-78) with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs. In his final at-bat, in the eighth against Ryan Mattheus, Colvin drove a pitch to the right-field wall, where Michael Morse made the catch to the cheers of the crowd. He is leaving all the noisemaking to others.
"I try to stay the same, not getting really excited, not getting really mad," Colvin said. "That's what makes really good players really good."
The switch-hitting Fowler added to his career-best homer total by hitting his 11th, off Tom Gorzelanny in the seventh. It was his third from the right side. All-Star outfielder Carlos Gonzlaez had two hits, including a double in the eighth. Gonzalez then stole third and scored the Rockies' final run on Michael Cuddyer's sacrifice fly.
Tickets are available for the Rockies’ next home game at Coors Field vs. the Philadelphia Phillies on July 13th, and can be purchased by calling (800) 388-ROCK, or click here.
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