Austin Gomber tossed seven strong innings and the visiting Colorado Rockies opened a three-game series against the Washington Nationals with a 3-1 win on Tuesday.
Brenton Doyle, Ryan McMahon and Ezequiel Tovar each had two hits for Colorado, which has won three of its last four games.
Gomber (4-8) allowed one run on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Tyler Kinley tossed a scoreless inning before Angel Chivilli escaped a jam in the ninth to notch his first career save.
Washington put runners on the corners with one out in the ninth before Keibert Ruiz flied out and Jose Tena grounded out.
CJ Abrams homered for Washington, which was outhit 10-5 and lost for the fifth time in its last six games.
Colorado took a 1-0 lead in the first inning against Nationals starter DJ Herz (2-6). Tovar hit a one-out double, advanced to third on Doyle’s single and scored on McMahon’s single to left field.
After throwing 28 pitches in the first inning, Herz settled in and did not allow a hit over the next four innings while throwing a total of 41 pitches.
The Rockies added to their lead with two runs in the sixth. With two runners on and two outs, Doyle scored from second base on Nolan Jones’ single.
After Eduardo Salazar replaced Herz, Brendan Rodgers scored from third when Jordan Beck reached safely on a throwing error.
Herz yielded three runs (two earned) on six hits over 5 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out seven.
Abrams put the Nationals on the board with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the sixth. The 394-foot shot was Abrams’ 18th homer this season.
Washington’s Alex Call doubled with one out in the eighth inning, but Kinley struck out Abrams and Andres Chaparro was retired on Jones’ sliding catch in left field.
Rockies catcher Drew Romo singled in the ninth inning for his first major league hit.
Colorado first baseman Michael Toglia went 0-for-3 with a walk, snapping his 11-game hitting streak.
–Field Level Media
