DENVER — Sunday afternoon’s game at Coors Field offered a smorgasbord of walks, hit batsmen, home runs and lead changes.
Classic baseball it was not.
In the end, the Rockies prevailed, 7-6, riding solo home runs from Elias Diaz and Jurickson Profar, and staging a four-run rally in the sixth inning. Ryan McMahon, the ninth hitter in the inning “drove in” the go-ahead run by drawing a bases-loaded walk off of Hobie Harris.
Center fielder Yonathan Daza closed out the game with a diving catch to rob CJ Abrams of an extra-base hit that likely would have tied the game.
The Rockies, who have not lost a home series to Washington since 2017, managed a split in the four-game series.
Colorado relievers Jake Bird and Brand Hand made a mess of the sixth inning when the Nationals scored three runs to take a 6-3 lead. Bird plunked Lane Thomas to open the inning and gave up singles to Victor Robles and Alex Call, loading the bases. Bird struck out Jeimer Candelario for the second out before giving way to Hand, a southpaw brought in to face left-handing hitter Dominic Smith.
But Hand walked Smith on four pitches, forcing in a run, and then Hand walked Keibert Ruiz on four more consecutive balls, forcing in another run. Hand’s wild pitch allowed Call to score from third and the boo birds at Coors were chirping.
Nationals pitchers, however, were equally charitable in the bottom of the frame giving up three hits, two walks and hitting a batter. Diaz (3-for-4) added to his big day with an RBI double and Charlie Blackmon (2-for-5) ripped an RBI single up the middle to tie the game, 6-6.
Neither starting pitcher was great, but both the Nationals’ Chad Kuhl and the Rockies’ Ryan Feltner gave their teams five innings, which, given that Sunday turned into a Coors Field special, was a minor victory.
Feltner gave up three runs on six hits, walked three and struck out three. Kuhl, who pitched for Colorado last season, gave up five runs on six hits, including the two home runs. He walked four and struck out three.
Fortunately for the Rockies, relievers Dinelson Lamet, Justin Lawrence and Pierce Johnson restored some order, each throwing a scoreless inning to close out the game. Johnson recorded his third save in three chances.
The Rockies (4-6) open a three-game series against Nolan Arenado’s St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night at Coors.
