DENVER (AP) — Cade Cavalli threw six strong innings, Luis García Jr. hit a two-run homer as part of a six-run seventh to break open a tight game and the Washington Nationals beat the Colorado Rockies 8-0 on Wednesday.
The Nationals took two of three from the Rockies to win a fourth consecutive road series.
Cavalli (7-4) scattered four hits and walked two while striking out eight. The right-hander threw 90 pitches, mixing a blazing fastball with a baffling knuckle-curve. He also made a nifty play early in the game, reaching behind him with his glove to snare a sharp grounder headed up the middle.
Cavalli and Rockies starter Gabriel Hughes (0-2) matched zeros through four innings. The Nationals took a 1-0 lead in the fifth after Jorbit Vivas led off the inning with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly from James Wood.
Hughes went five innings and allowed one run while striking out five. Washington scored seven runs — five earned — on the Colorado bullpen.
CJ Abrams had a four-hit afternoon.
The decisive seventh inning featured a couple of errors on one play for the Rockies following a single up the middle by Dylan Crews with two runners aboard. A throw by Cole Carrigg missed the cutoff man, resulting in an error and sending catcher Brett Sullivan scrambling up the line. Sullivan then committed another miscue by throwing wide of pitcher Zach Agnos, who had to jump over Abrams while covering home.
Jake McCarthy lined a double for the Rockies in extending his on-base streak to 17 games.
Up next
Nationals: Open a three-game series against Arizona on Friday, with righty Zack Littell (7-7, 5.34) taking the mound.
Rockies: Righty Tomoyuki Sugano (9-4, 4.76) starts Friday at Milwaukee.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Pat Graham, The Associated Press
