CJ Abrams’ RBI single capped a four-run ninth inning and the Washington Nationals rallied to beat the Colorado Rockies 5-4 on Wednesday for a second straight day.
A day after using a four-run eighth to come back from a 5-2 deficit to beat the Rockies 6-5, Lane Thomas and Jeimer Candelario opened the ninth with walks against Daniel Bard (4-2) in the finale of the three-game series. 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.
“I was just looking for anything in the zone,” Abrams said. “Saw one in the zone, swung at it. I hit the cutter. The cutter kind of got in on me and I got a lucky bounce.”
Bard, who had allowed only two runs over his past eight appearances, said he felt fine physically but was struggling with his delivery.
“I’ve gotten out of bases-loaded, no-out jams before,” Bard said. “I just felt like that was going to be another one, especially with the three-run cushion. Just make a couple of pitches and you’re out of this thing. I firmly believed I was going to get out of it until I didn’t.”
Washington completed a 5-1 homestand after going 15-22 at Nationals Park before the All-Star break.
“We had a great homestand after struggling here,” manager Dave Martinez said. “The way we came back the last two days was awesome. I can’t tell you enough about the character of these guys. They don’t give in, they don’t give up. They play hard for 27 outs.”
Andres Machado (1-0) pitched one inning for the win.
Ryan McMahon, Elehuris Montero and Michael Toglia homered for Colorado, which finished 3-3 on its road trip.
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.
“We’ve been talking about the lack of homers all year and it showed up on this road trip,” Colorado manager Bud Black said. “Three today, hope it continues. We’ve got power, but we’ve got to generate it and we did today.”
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. Toglia had an RBI in each game of the series, going 4 for 10 with a double, a home run, three RBIs, a walk and three runs scored.
Before the game, the Nationals selected Machado from Triple-A Rochester and optioned right-handed pitcher Amos Willingham to Rochester. To make room for Machado on the 40-man roster, outfielder Victor Robles (lumbar spine back spasms) was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Nationals right-handed starter 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.
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