WASHINGTON — Stephen Strasburg bounced back from his worst outing of the season with 7 2-3 strong innings, and Jayson Werth had two doubles and three RBIs in the Washington Nationals’ 7-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.
Anthony Rendon added a two-run double for Washington, which has won four straight.
Strasburg (7-6) tied his career high by allowing seven earned runs in 4 2-3 innings in his last start, and was 0-2 with a 7.27 ERA over his last three.
Tuesday night he struck out eight and walked one while giving up one run. The Rockies didn’t get a runner past second until DJ LeMahieu’s homer in the eighth.
He was lifted after walking Corey Dickerson with his 111th pitch of the night.
Christian Friedrich (0-3) allowed five runs in 3 1-3 innings for Colorado, which has lost 13 of 15.
PHOTOS: Strasburg, Nationals flatten Rockies 7-1
Werth, 7 for 52 in his last 13 games coming in, doubled home two runs in the first, another in the fourth and walked twice.
Washington has scored seven runs in three straight games, albeit the last two against the pitching staff with baseball’s worst ERA.
Bryce Harper went 1 for 5 in his second game back from the disabled list, and every Washington starter hit safely except Ian Desmond.
Friedrich was making his third start since being called up June 21 and struggled once again, allowing five hits while walking four and striking out four. Overall, he’s given up 14 earned runs and 21 hits in 13 1-3 innings.
He struggled with his control early and the Rockies were quickly behind.
Denard Span and Rendon walked to open the first, and Werth hit a smash past third baseman Ryan Wheeler, scoring both runners.
Werth went to third on an infield single by Adam LaRoche and scored on Ryan Zimmerman’s sacrifice fly to make it 3-0.
Strasburg helped Washington break it open when he doubled past a diving Brandon Barnes in right with one out in the fourth.
Span singled Strasburg to third and moved to second on a wild pitch. Rendon then greeted reliever Chad Bettis with a double to left, increasing the lead to 5-0. Werth singled to score Rendon and later came home on a wild pitch.
The Rockies had men on in four of the first six innings against Strasburg, but were never able to bunch their hits.
NOTES: In middle of 20 straight days with a game, Colorado manager Walt Weiss rested SS Troy Tulowitzki and OF Charlie Blackmon. Blackmon grounded out as a pinch hitter in the eighth. . Rockies LH Brett Anderson (broken finger), on the DL since April 13, is scheduled to make his first rehab start Wednesday for Triple-A Colorado Springs. . The Nationals, after allowing 19 unearned runs in March/April and 13 in May, set a new club record by allowing just two in June. . Colorado’s LH Tyler Matzek (1-2, 4.24) opposes RH Doug Fister (6-2, 2.83) in Wednesday’s series finale.
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