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Apr 21, 2010 - 5:55 AM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

Colorado (6-7) at Washington (7-6), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Hours after the untimely death of their president, the Colorado Rockies honored Keli McGregor with their best hitting display of the season.

The Rockies will try to keep their offense rolling Wednesday night as they look to continue their dominance of the Washington Nationals.

McGregor, who was in his 17th season with Colorado and the team's president since 2001, was on a business trip when he was found dead Tuesday morning in a Salt Lake City hotel at the age of 48.

Police said the investigation has been turned over to the medical examiner's office, and no foul play is believed to be involved.

Later that night, Colorado (7-7) scored eight runs in the third inning, and collected a season-high 14 hits in a 10-4 win.

"What took place (Tuesday) on the field was a wonderful tribute to a man that we obviously loved," manager Jim Tracy said. "The game - and the way it turned out - eases the pain. It's there. There's no getting around it. Eventually with some time, it will go away, but not immediately."

Before the game, Todd Helton hung a jersey in the dugout with McGregor's name on it and the No. 88 he wore as a second-team All-America tight end with Colorado State before a brief NFL career in the 1980s. The team will also begin wearing a memorial patch on its jerseys Wednesday.

"It's hard to believe it actually happened," said Helton, who had two hits and one RBI Tuesday. "He basically brought us to where we're at right now. It really hasn't set in yet. I struggle with the words because I don't think they would do him justice."

Helton, who hunted and lifted weights with McGregor, is hitting .393 with 25 homers and 78 RBIs in 82 career games versus Washington (7-7).

The Rockies will try to beat the Nationals for the 11th time in 12 games, and Jason Hammel (0-1, 11.42) will take the mound looking to rebound from one of the worst performances of his career.

The right-hander was tagged for seven runs and eight hits with three walks in just 1 2-3 innings of a 9-5 loss at Atlanta on Friday.

He's 1-0 with a 3.55 ERA in two starts against the Nationals, winning at Washington on Aug. 20 when he yielded one run in seven innings of a 4-1 victory.

The Nationals have dropped two of three following a season-high three-game winning streak, and turn to John Lannan (1-1, 5.74). The left-hander didn't get a decision, but turned in his best effort of the year Friday, allowing two runs in seven innings in a 5-3 home win over Milwaukee.

Lannan is 0-3 with a 5.45 ERA in his last six starts at Nationals Park while getting just six total runs of support.

He's 0-1 with an 8.18 ERA in two starts against the Rockies, but hasn't faced them since allowing eight runs and four walks in four innings of a home defeat as a rookie on Aug. 16, 2008.

Washington's Ivan Rodriguez had two hits Tuesday, and leads the NL with a.444 batting average while hitting safely in 10 of 11 games. He's batting .357 during an 11-game hitting streak against Colorado.