2 weeks Ago
After losing three out of four games to the Pittsburgh Pirates , the Washington Nationals want nothing more than to claim a series victory over the Colorado Rockies . After the Nationals lost to the Pirates, 1-0 on Thursday, they hopped on a plane and headed for Denver for a three-game series with Colorado. The Rockies (3-15) enter the game with just three victories, giving the Nationals a good chance to erase some of the bad taste from that series with the Pirates.
Washington will do it a bit short-handed, too. The Nationals lost third baseman Paul DeJong when he was hit in the face by a pitch on Tuesday. He appears to have dodged serious injury, but he’ll need time to heal.
The Nationals still havet reliever Jorge López for now after he was suspended for three games and fined for what MLB termed as “intentionally throwing at Andrew McCutchen.” That incident happened on Wednesday and resulted in López’s ejection. He said after the game he had no intention of trying to injure McCutchen.
Because López is appealing the suspension, he is available to pitch until a decision is reached on the appeal. His manager Dave Martinez was suspended for one game and fined for López’s actions. He served that suspension in Pittsburgh on Thursday and returns to the dugout for Friday’s opener with the Rockies, which starts at 8:40 p.
m. eastern. The good news for Martinez and the Nationals is that their ace, right-hander MacKenzie Gore (1-2, 3.
52) will face Colorado right-hander Chase Dollander (1-1, 5.06). Gore was electric on opening day, but since then his performance has been uneven.
His only win game on April 7 against the Los Angeles Dodgers , as he gave up five hits and two earned runs in six innings. He lost his last start against Miami , as he gave up eight hits and four earned runs in six innings. He has 32 strikeouts and six walks in 23 innings.
Dollander has just two starts and has given up 10 hits, six earned runs and three walks. He has struck out 13. Washington right-hander Brad Lord (0-1, 4.
82) will be back on the mound on Saturday against Colorado left-hander Kyle Freeland (0-3, 4.88) in a 3:10 p.m.
start. Lord started on Monday against Pittsburgh and gave up six hits, four earned runs and three walks in 4.1 innings.
He struck out one. It was his first start of the season. Freeland has lost his last three starts and allowed 13 earned runs.
He has only walked two hitters in those losses. Sunday’s finale, set for 3:10 p.m.
, will see the Nats start right-hander Jake Irvin (1-0, 3.91) against Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela (0-3, 5.89).
Irvin won his last start on Tuesday against the Pirates, as he threw seven innings and gave up three hits, no runs and one walk against six strikeouts. Senzatela has lost his last three starts and has given up 12 earned runs in those starts. He’s also failed to get out of the fifth inning in his last two starts.
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