Rockies Play Long Ball in Pounding Nationals

While the box score reflects the Colorado Rockies flexing their muscles on offense on Wednesday night, starting pitcher Tanner Gordon needs some attention, too.

Gordon threw seven innings of six-hit baseball and gave up just one run, while Connor Norby and Hunter Goodman parlayed home runs into giving the Rockies a huge 13-1 victory on the road. They have now won the first two games of this series against the Washington Nationals.

Gordon didn't walk a batter and struck out five Nationals hitters in the game. Zach Agnos came on to pitch the final two innings, giving up just one hit while striking out two. After losing seven straight games, Colorado has won back-to-back games.

Nationals starter Matt Waldron went two innings and allowed just two hits and no runs. Reliever Will Dion earned the loss as he came in and pitched 2.2 innings, giving up four hits, four earned runs, two walks, and three strikeouts. But Dion also gave up two home runs to Colorado hitters.

Luis Perales was next on the hill for Washington. He went two innings and also allowed four earned runs on four hits. Perales also walked three, struck out three, and gave up one home run to the Rockies.

Andres Chapparo's solo home run in the bottom of the second off of Gordon was the lone run that Washington scored. Then, the rest of the night was devoted to the Rockies' offense.

Troy Johnston hit a two-run home run in the top of the fifth inning, his fourth homer this season. Later that inning, Cole Carrigg smashed his sixth homer this season, another two-run shot and the Rockies led 4-1. Norby scored ahead of Carrigg, yet Norby wasn't done crossing home plate in this game.

In the seventh inning, Norby smoked his sixth home run this season, a grand slam, that put the Rockies up 8-1. Then, in the top of the eighth, Goodman slammed a two-run blast, plating Carrigg ahead of him, for a 10-1 advantage. That was Goodman's 36th home run this season, too. Norby added an RBI single and pushed the Rockies' lead to 11-1.

Ezequiel Tovar connected for a two-run single, also in the eighth inning, and that wrapped up Colorado's scoring against the Nationals' pitching staff.

It is worth noting that the Rockies can sweep the series against the Nationals with a victory on Thursday. Colorado definitely wants to keep piling up victories, even though the Rockies will see their season end when the 2026 MLB schedule reaches game No. 162.