Arenado Homers To Power Rockies Past Nationals 5-3
WASHINGTON (The Sports Xchange) - Nolan Arenado was 4-for-4 with three RBIs and Chad Bettis allowed just two runs in seven innings as the Colorado Rockies posted a series victory with a 5-3 win over host Washington Nationals on Sunday.
Bettis (11-7) leads the team in wins after he struck out six with one walk while throwing 106 pitches. Jordan Lyles came in to pitch in the eighth for the Rockies and retired the first batter, Trea Turner, before Boone Logan got two outs in the eighth.
Logan gave up a homer to Bryce Harper in the ninth, making it 5-3. That brought in reliever Adam Ottavino, who recorded the last three outs.
PHOTO GALLERY: Rockies 5, Nationals 3
The Rockies got a strange insurance run in the top of the eighth to make it 5-2. Daniel Descalso, who had doubled, scored from second on a wild pitch from Koda Glover when his offering hit home plate umpire Mike Muchlinski in the shoulder and bounced away from catcher Wilson Ramos.
Ramos, who had two hits, blasted the first pitch from Bettis in the seventh to trim the lead to 4-2. It was the 20th homer of the year for Ramos, who had two hits in 27 at-bats coming into the game.
The Rockies scored three runs in the third to take a 4-1 lead.
Carlos Gonzalez had a two-out single and Arenado followed with a two-run homer just over the fence in left. It was the 35th homer of the year for Arenado, who began the day one blast shy of Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs for the National League lead.
On the next pitch, David Dahl hit another homer off starting and losing pitcher Lucas Giolito (0-1), who was making the fourth start of his major-league career and first since July 24. Giolito allowed four runs and six hits with two walks and two strikeouts in five innings.
The Nationals tied the game at 1 as Turner (two hits) led off the last of the first with a solo homer to left. The rookie center fielder has nine doubles, six triples and five homers in 41 games this season.
Arenado had an RBI single in the first to give Colorado a 1-0 lead. He had a triple in the fifth that right fielder Harper lost in the sun and was originally scored a three-base error after Harper got a glove on the ball.
Bettis escaped a jam in the last of the fifth when speedy Ben Revere hit into a double play with runners on first and third to end the inning.
The Rockies (62-68) are 4-2 this year against the Nationals (75-55), who began the day eight games ahead of the Miami Marlins. Washington is 8-9 in the midst of a string of 20 games in 20 days and has lost six of its last eight.
Washington first baseman Ryan Zimmerman struck out in his first three at-bats, giving him four hits in his last 33 trips. He ended the game with a flyout to right as Ottavino got his second save.
Descalso had two doubles for the Rockies, who host the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday.
NOTES: The Nationals called up RHP Lucas Giolito from Triple-A Syracuse to make the start Sunday. To make room on the 25-man roster, INF Wilmer Difo was sent to Double-A Harrisburg after he hit .257 (9-for-35) in 18 games at the big league level this year. ... Rockies RHP Jon Gray (8-6, 4.61 ERA) will start on Monday against the Dodgers RHP Kenta Maeda (13-7, 3.37 ERA) in Denver. ... Washington begins a series on Monday in Philadelphia with RHP Tanner Roark (13-7, 2.99 ERA) going against Phillies rookie RHP Jake Thompson (1-3, 9.78 ERA). ... Washington LF Jayson Werth got a break from the starting lineup Sunday as OF Ben Revere made the start in left and batted second. Werth has reached base in 53 of his last 54 games. Werth and Revere are both former outfielders for the Phillies.