The visiting Colorado Rockies will vie for their first four-game winning streak of the season on Wednesday night when they play the third contest of their four-game series against the spiraling Washington Nationals.
Colorado matched a franchise record with seven home runs in a 10-6 win on Tuesday night.
The Rockies are a respectable 7-7 — including an impressive 6-2 on the road — since falling to 9-50 on June 1.
“We could have let the start of the season weigh on us and beat us down,” designated hitter Mickey Moniak said. “I don’t think we’ve done that. We’re starting to play with more confidence, starting to show up to the field and expect to win the game instead of trying not to lose.”
Meanwhile, the Nationals have 10 losses in a row, with the last five coming at home against Miami Marlins and Rockies, a pair of last-place teams.
“Nobody wants to lose 10 in a row. No way,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. “I don’t. I know those guys don’t. But we’re not going to quit. We’re going to keep fighting. That’s who we are. I don’t quit. I’m not going to quit on those guys.”
Colorado right-hander German Marquez (2-8, 6.62 ERA) will start on Wednesday while the Nationals will counter with left-hander Mitchell Parker (4-7, 4.84).
Marquez is 1-1 with a 4.80 ERA over his past four starts. He gave up one run on six hits in five innings of no-decision Friday against the Atlanta Braves in his last trip to the mound. He struck out a season-high seven and walked one in Colorado’s 12-4 loss.
“I saw him pitching ahead,” Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer said. “I saw him pitching in. Good fastball command to both sides of the plate and a good curveball. He was using his heater late, pitching backwards a little bit when it called for it. He did what he wanted to do with the baseball tonight.”
Marquez is 2-4 with an 8.29 ERA in seven career starts against Washington.
Parker, who has lost four straight starts, will look to bounce back from his worst outing of the season. Against the Marlins last Friday, he gave up six runs on eight hits in 3 1/3 innings in an 11-9 defeat.
Parker is 1-0 with a 3.46 ERA in two career starts versus Colorado.
On Tuesday, Michael Toglia homered twice among his three hits in his second game since being recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque, Hunter Goodman went deep for the third time in two nights, and Thairo Estrada, Ryan McMahon, Sam Hilliard and Moniak joined the home run barrage.
McMahon is batting .333 (13-for-39) with four home runs, seven RBIs and six runs over his last 11 games.
The Nationals, who continue to struggle on offense, had another late rally fall short. Nathaniel Lowe homered in the eighth inning and doubled in the four-run ninth. He is 11-for-37 with two home runs, a double, five RBIs and three runs in the last 11 games.
“You’ve got to keep going,” Lowe said. “You’ve got to trust the guys next to you. You can’t press and solve it all in one at-bat or one day. But the second you quit, the game will steamroll you.”
–Field Level Media
