Nationals at Rockies
The Washington Nationals vie for a .500 road trip when they visit the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday afternoon in the rubber match of their three-game series. Washington received a big boost from center fielder Victor Robles, whose three-run double gave the Nationals the lead for good en route to a 6-3 victory Tuesday, putting them in position to win their third road series in four tries this season.
Washington hopes Juan Soto, who finished second in National League Rookie of the Year voting, finishes the six-game trek strong as he is 3-for-18 in the first five contests and walked with the bases loaded Tuesday for his second RBI on the trip. Colorado has won seven of its last nine games, scoring 46 runs during that stretch after a 3-12 start produced only 42. The Rockies, though, find themselves in a strange spot toward the bottom of the majors in runs after finishing in the top 10 in scoring in each of the last 10 seasons. Colorado's German Marquez takes the ball Wednesday after battling a tooth issue in his last turn and opposes Anibal Sanchez, who has excelled in two starts at Coors Field, in a matchup of undrafted Venezuelan right-handers.
TV: 3:10 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Washington), AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Colorado)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Anibal Sanchez (0-2, 4.91 ERA) vs. Rockies RH German Marquez (2-1, 2.25)
Sanchez allowed three runs, five hits and four walks with six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings of a 3-2 loss at Miami on Friday. The 35-year-old has struggled with his command this season, issuing 11 walks against 17 strikeouts while yielding 23 hits in 22 innings. Colorado's active roster is 20-for-100 versus Sanchez, who is 4-1 with a 2.28 ERA in seven starts against the Rockies - 1-0, 3.46 with 13 strikeouts in 13 innings over two starts at Coors Field.
Marquez suffered through the discomfort from an infected tooth - it has since been pulled - while permitting two runs and 10 hits in five innings en route to a no-decision in Colorado's 4-3 victory over Philadelphia on Friday. The 24-year-old, who signed a five-year, $43 million contract April 2, pitched a one-hitter with nine strikeouts in a 4-0 victory at San Francisco on April 14 for one of his three quality starts in five outings this season. Washington's active roster is 5-for-29 against Marquez, who is 1-1 with an 8.18 ERA in two turns - both in 2017 - versus the Nationals.
WALK-OFFS
1. Colorado SS Trevor Story (team highs of five home runs, 15 RBIs) went 1-for-3 on Tuesday to extend his hitting streak to 12 games and raising his average to .283.
2. Washington 3B Anthony Rendon missed his third straight contest Tuesday after being hit by a pitch on his left elbow in Miami on Sunday.
3. Rockies CF Ian Desmond went 1-for-4 on Tuesday, raising his season average to .177.