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Rockies edge Nats to avoid sweep

Jul 24, 2014 - 1:19 AM Denver, CO (SportsNetwork.com) - Corey Dickerson ended up with two hits, an RBI and two runs scored, as Colorado topped Washington, 6-4, in Wednesday's finale of a three-game series from Coors Field.

Josh Rutledge doubled twice and scored once, while Charlie Blackmon added two hits and drove in a run for the Rockies, who avoided a sweep and put an end to their seven-game losing streak.

Nolan Arenado, Ben Paulsen and Michael McKenry also knocked in a run each to back the performance of Jorge De La Rosa (11-6), who fanned a season-high 11 batters while permitting one earned run and eight hits over 7 1/3 innings.

"All my pitches were working really good today," said De La Rosa. "My command of all my pitches was really good."

LaTroy Hawkins made it interesting in the ninth, allowing run-scoring hits from Jayson Werth and Anthony Rendon. A fielding error by Rutledge on a routine grounder from Adam LaRoche loaded the bases, but Ian Desmond fanned swinging on a 2-2 pitch to end the rally.

Denard Span finished 4-for-5 with an RBI and crossed home twice for the Nationals, who had won four in a row. Stephen Strasburg (7-8) gave up nine hits and four runs over 5 1/3 frames, fanning five but walking three.

"Giving up three runs early, I could've easily shut it down," Strasburg said. "I didn't want to do that. I wanted to keep it as close as possible because anything can happen here."

Colorado caused trouble for Strasburg in the opening frame. Back-to-back one- out doubles from Rutledge and Dickerson brought in the first run, then after a walk to Arenado, Paulsen's base hit scored Dickerson. McKenry's solid two-out hit then brought home Arenado to give the hosts a 3-1 edge.

Danny Espinosa began the Nats' fifth with a double, stole third and came home on Span's two-out base hit, but the Rockies extended their lead with one run in the sixth and two more in the seventh.

McKenry worked a leadoff walk in the former, moved up on De La Rosa's one-out single and scored when Blackmon greeted Ross Detwiler with a base hit to left.

In the latter, Dickerson walked and scored when Arenado followed with a double. Arenado went to third on a wild pitch from Aaron Barrett and scored on an error following a second wild pitch.

Game Notes

De La Rosa's career best for strikeouts in one start is 12, achieved on May 9, 2009 in a 3-1 loss to the Marlins ... Colorado avoided a season series sweep at the hands of Washington, which had taken three in a row in America's capital from June 30-July 2 ... Prior to the contest, the Nationals placed third baseman Ryan Zimmerman on the 15-day disabled list and recalled infielder Zach Walters from Triple-A Syracuse ... Following the contest, Washington manager Matt Williams said an MRI revealed a "pretty substantial" hamstring strain.