WASHINGTON (AP) — CJ Abrams' two-run single capped a four-run ninth inning and the Washington Nationals rallied to beat the Colorado Rockies 5-4 on Wednesday.
A day after coming back from a 5-2 deficit with a four-run eighth to beat the Rockies in the second game of the three-game series, Lane Thomas and Jeimer Candelario opened the ninth with walks against Daniel Bard (4-2) in the finale. Joey Meneses, whose three-run homer was the difference in Tuesday night's win, singled to load the bases.
Keibert Ruiz was out on an infield fly, but Bard hit Dominic Smith with a pitch to walk in a run and make it 4-2. Stone Garrett was out on a slow roller before Candelario scored Washington’s third run. Luis Garcia was intentionally walked and Ildemaro Vargas drew a four-pitch walk to tie the game.
Matt Koch came on to face Abrams, who grounded a single between first and second to score pinch runner Michael Chavis for the winning run.
Andres Machado (1-0) pitched one inning for the win.
Ryan McMahon, Elehuris Montero and Michael Toglia also homered for Colorado.
Rockies starter Peter Lambert allowed an unearned run on three hits, all singles. In two starts since being recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque on July 21, Lambert is 1-0 and has allowed one run in 11 innings.
Nationals starter Jake Irvin went six innings and allowed four runs on six hits, three of them home runs. He struck out seven and walked two.
Harold Castro doubled with one out in the second and Montero, recalled from Albuquerque on Tuesday, lined a homer to left to make it 2-0.
McMahon's 16th homer of the season, a shot into the second deck in right center, increased the lead to 3-0 in the third.
Washington picked up a run in the third when Abrams walked and later scored on Candelario's groundout.
Toglia's solo homer into the Rockies' bullpen made it 4-1 in the sixth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: 1B CJ Cron (back muscle spasms) missed his fifth game and remains day to day.
ROSTER MOVES
Nationals: Selected RHP Andres Machado from Triple-A Rochester and optioned RHP Amos Willingham to Triple-A Rochester. To make room for Machado on the 40-man roster, OF Victor Robles (lumbar spine back spasms) was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
UP NEXT
Rockies: Starter TBD for the opener of a three-game series against the visiting Athletics on Friday.
Nationals: RHP Josiah Gray (7-8, 3.45) pitches the opener of a four-game series at the Mets on Thursday. Gray tossed six scoreless innings and struck out nine in a win against New York on April 25.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
