The Washington Nationals were super tired after a long night when they opened their series with the Colorado Rockies on Monday. Thank goodness they were, because it’s been ugly since the Rockies took that game. The Nationals won the series on Thursday afternoon with yet another lopsided win, riding an 11-run 7th inning to a 16-5 win.
The best place to start is a tip of the cap to the top of the Washington lineup. If you have any questions about why this team is considered one of the favorites this year, Bryce Harper and company would be glad to answer them.
On Thursday, Adam Eaton had two hits including a solo home run, three runs and a couple driven in. Trea Turner had three hits, two runs and two RBI. Harper only had one hit but it was a loud one, a three-run bomb off Jordan Lyles. Daniel Murphy had three hits, three runs and three RBI, including a homer of his own.
Gio Gonzalez started on the mound for Washington, and he continued his stellar start to the season with 6.2 innings and only two earned runs.
So about that Rockies pitching. Antonio Senzatela never quite got into the rhythm we have seen from him all season. It didn’t help that he got squeezed early by home plate umpire Mike Winters, who was unsteady all day, to be put it charitably. But that also doesn’t excuse the mistakes Senzatela did make or the implosion from his colleagues in the bullpen later in this one.
All told, Senzatela went six innings and gave up four runs. That’s not necessarily a disaster! What followed, however, most certainly was.
Carlos Estevez entered the week as a pleasant story in a bullpen full of them this season. He left today’s game with a cool 9.64 ERA after being charged with seven runs. Jordan Lyles and Scott Oberg were forced to wear the rest of this one, with Lyles giving up four runs of his own. Oberg was the star, I guess, as he gave up just a single meaningless run in his inning of work.
Nolan Arenado homered early in this one before we realized that the Nationals are mean and nothing matters. Pat Valaika, making his first career start in the outfield, drove in an early run of his own before things got out of hand.
To their credit, the bats did not go quietly in the 9th inning. Tony Wolters tripled and scored on an error, and Charlie Blackmon continued his ridiculous tear by doubling in two more runs. So they kept chipping away at their run differential for the season, I guess, if you’re really straining for a silver lining in this one.
What was left for the Rockies as they got blown out once again? You might be sorry you asked.
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) April 27, 2017
Maybe this was a reality check for the Rockies. Maybe it was just bad timing because the Nationals are so hot right now. Maybe Trea Turner has his eyes on a spot on the all-time Rockies killers team alongside Adrian Gonzalez and anybody named Hairston.
Whatever the case, the Rockies don’t have much time to dwell on it as they prepare for an important divisional series on the road against the Arizona Diamondbacks this weekend.