Recap: Washington vs. Colorado
Sports Network | August 17, 2008
Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Ian Stewart and Seth Smith hit three-run homers and Brad Hawpe added a solo shot as the Colorado Rockies defeated the Washington Nationals, 7-2, sweeping a three-game series at Nationals Park.
Willy Taveras finished with three hits, including a double for the Rockies, who have won four of their last five.
Aaron Cook (15-8) earned the win after going five innings. The right-hander allowed two runs on seven hits, while striking out four and walking three. He improved to 9-3 on the road this season and 2-1 over eight career games against the Washington/Montreal franchise.
Lastings Milledge had a pair of doubles and an RBI, while Pete Orr knocked in the other run for Washington, which has dropped 10 straight games for the first time since the 1991 campaign, when it was still based in Montreal. The Expos suffered 11 consecutive defeats between June 23-July 4, 1991.
Odalis Perez (5-9) suffered the loss after surrendering three runs -- two earned -- on four hits over six innings. The left-hander struck out three and issued four walks.
With Colorado clinging to a 3-2 lead, the Rockies got some breathing room in the eighth, putting four on the board. Hawpe's solo homer to right put the Rockies ahead by two, but they weren't finished. Jesus Colome came in from the Nats bullpen and hit Chris Iannetta with a pitch and two batters later issued a walk to Stewart. Smith, pinch-hitting, stepped to the plate and belted a 1-0 fastball over the center-field fence to make it a 7-2 game.
Washington was unable to mount anything in the eighth and Glendon Rusch came on for the Rockies in the bottom of the ninth and retired the side in order to preserve the win.
Colorado threatened in the top of the first, loading the bases with two outs, but Perez settled down to get Iannetta to fly out to right to end the inning.
Washington opened the scoring in the second. Ronnie Belliard led of the frame with a base hit and Ryan Langerhans followed with a double to left, putting runners on second and third. Orr's ground out to first scored Belliard to give the Nationals the early advantage.
Iannetta led off the fourth by reaching first on an error by shortstop Orr and Troy Tulowitzki drew a free pass. Stewart then stepped up and hammered 2-2 offering from Perez over the right-center field wall to put the Rockies in front 3-1.
Milledge's one-out run-scoring ground-rule double to left in the fifth got the Nationals back to within a run. Washington was bidding for more, but with runners on second and third, Cook fanned Aaron Boone and after issuing a walk to Belliard, got Langerhans to fly out to right to prevent further damage.
Matt Herges started the bottom of the sixth for the Rockies and after Orr and Wil Nieves greeted the right-hander with a pair of singles, leaving runners on first and second, Colorado went to the bullpen and brought in Manny Corpas. Washington countered with pinch-hitter Ryan Zimmerman, who flied out to left for the first out of the inning. Emilio Bonifacio then chased a first-pitch slider and bounced into a 4-6-3 double play to end the frame.
The Nationals start a six-game road trip on Tuesday night against Philadelphia, while Colorado begins a three-game set at the Los Angeles Dodgers...Colorado won the season series 4-3 and improved to 15-6 against the Nationals since 2006.
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