DENVER — Luis Garcia Jr.'s three-run homer highlighted a five-run third inning, Drew Millas had a home run among his three hits and the Washington Nationals pounded out a season-high 19 hits in an 11-5 win over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night.
Ezequiel Tovar, Hunter Goodman, and Nolan Jones homered for the Rockies in a game in which the teams combined for 30 hits.
Jacob Young had three hits and scored three runs, and CJ Abrams added three hits, with the first of his two doubles coming on the first pitch of the game from Dakota Hudson (2-10) to extend his career-best hitting streak to 12 games.
Tovar finished with three hits, including his 12th homer of the season as the Rockies fell to 5-15 in June. Colorado also hit another dubious milestone with their 50th loss of the season for a 26-50 record.
Leading 5-1 going into the top of the fourth, Millas homered off Hudson, igniting a four-run burst for the Nationals. Thomas chipped in with a two-run double off reliever Geoff Hartlieb, and Eddie Rosario had a sacrifice fly.
Jones and Goodman each homered during a three-run burst in the bottom of the fourth, and Colorado got another run on Sean Bouchard’s sacrifice fly. The Nationals added a pair of runs in the sixth on a run-scoring double by Abrams and an RBI triple by Thomas.
Hudson went three innings and allowed 11 hits and eight runs in his National League-leading 10th loss.
DJ Herz, who was coming off his first big league win against Miami with a season-high 13 strikeouts over six scoreless innings, could not replicate that outing at Colorado. He went 3 2/3 innings and allowed seven hits and four runs, three earned.
Dylan Floro (2-1) worked an inning of scoreless relief and earned the win.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: RHP Jose Ferrer, sidelined since mid-March, is inching closer to a return. He threw a bullpen session Friday and his fastball was measured at between 96 mph and 99 mph. “He threw the ball really well. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow,” manager Dave Martinez said. …RHP Josiah Gray (elbow strain) has been sent to Triple-A Rochester to make another rehab start. He’s scheduled to pitch on Tuesday and throw up to 90 pitches.
Rockies: LHP Kyle Freeland (left elbow strain) is expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list Sunday and start against the Washington Nationals. It would mark his first mound appearance since mid-April. … OF-DH Charlie Blackmon was placed on the IL with a strained right hamstring and the team selected the contract of OF Sam Hilliard from Triple-A Albuquerque. … INF Brendan Rodgers (left hamstring strain) has been reinstated from the IL and the team placed INF Adael Amador on the 10-day IL with a right oblique strain.
UP NEXT
LHP Mitchell Parker (5-3, 3.06 ERA) is set to start for the Nationals on Saturday, and the Rockies will counter with RHP Cal Quantrill (6-5, 3.43 ERA).
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