Nationals 7 - 4 Rockies
Final
  for this game

LaRoche's HR carries Nationals over Rockies

Jul 23, 2014 - 6:33 AM Denver, CO (SportsNetwork.com) - Adam LaRoche belted the tie-breaking three- run homer in the seventh inning to lift the Washington Nationals to a 7-4 win over the Colorado Rockies.

Wilson Ramos drove in two runs for the NL East leaders, who posted their fourth straight victory. Anthony Rendon went 3-for-5 with two runs scored.

Nolan Arenado and Corey Dickerson homered for the Rockies, who lost their seventh in a row. DJ LeMahieu had three hits and an RBI in defeat.

The Rockies are in a stretch of games without shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who is hitting a major-league best .340 while collecting 21 home runs and 52 RBI. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday due to a left hip flexor strain.

To fill the roster spot, the Rockies recalled Yohan Flande from Triple-A Colorado Springs. Flande started Tuesday's contest and gave up five hits and four runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Washington starter Jordan Zimmermann surrendered eight hits and four runs, while fanning six across five frames.

Brooks Brown (0-1) walked Denard Span and Rendon singled. Rex Brothers entered the game with one out and served up a pitch that LaRoche clubbed to right- center for his 13th homer of the year.

"I think anybody that struggles in this league, his confidence becomes a factor and you have to battle through that," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said of Brothers. "He believes he's going to succeed every time he goes out there."

Craig Stammen (1-4) pitched an inning in relief of Zimmermann, while Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard and Rafael Soriano finished out with an inning apiece. Soriano picked up his 23rd save.

LeMahieu tripled to right to plate Ben Paulsen in the second, and it became 3-0 in the next inning when Arenado homered to center three batters after Josh Rutledge tripled.

Bryce Harper scored on a Ramos groundout in the fifth, and Ian Desmond, who matched a career-high in hits with a 5-for-5 performance in Monday's 7-2 win, scored on Zimmermann's sacrifice fly. Desmond doubled earlier in the inning.

Dickerson's second deck homer to right gave the Rockies a 4-2 edge in the bottom of the fifth.

The Nationals tied the game the following inning. Rendon scored on Ryan Zimmerman's fielder's choice grounder. Zimmerman stumbled at first base and exited with a strained right hamstring. He will undergo an MRI on Wednesday morning.

"It's concerning, any time you've got to leave the game with a hamstring injury it's concerning," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "We don't know until we get a picture of it. We'll do that in the morning."

Washington filled the bases later in the frame and Ramos' single that was knocked down by second baseman LeMahieu plated Danny Espinosa.

Game Notes

Dating to May 30, Washington is 11-2-2 in series play ... The Rockies went 2- for-15 with men in scoring position, while the Nationals were 3-for-13 ... Zimmermann came into Tuesday having not allowed a homer in 44 career innings against the Rockies before giving up two in this game ... Washington has won nine of its last 11 matchups against the Rockies.






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