WASHINGTON (AP) Adam Eaton and Anthony Rendon homered, and the Washington Nationals beat the Colorado Rockies 3-2 in the first game of a doubleheader Wednesday.
Washington has won 22 of 31 home games and improved to 35-15 overall since May 24, the best record in the majors in that span. Colorado has dropped eight of nine and 15 of 18 to slide seven games under .500 for the first time since April 15.
The matinee was a makeup of Monday’s postponement. Wednesday’s originally scheduled game will be played as the back end of a day-night doubleheader.
Rendon smacked the first pitch from reliever Carlos Estevez (1-1) just over the wall in left-center for his 21st home run to open the seventh, a shot that was reviewed and upheld.
Wander Suero (3-5) worked a scoreless seventh, Fernando Rodney escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the eighth and Sean Doolittle closed it out for his 22nd save in 26 tries.
Ryan McMahon gave Colorado a 1-0 lead with a sacrifice fly off starter Erick Fedde in the fourth and added an RBI single in the sixth. Fedde gave up a run and three hits while striking out two in four innings.
Rockies starter Jon Gray allowed just one run despite walking five in four innings before departing with a left calf injury. Washington pushed across its only run against Gray on Gerardo Parra’s bases-loaded walk in the fourth.
Eaton opened the fifth with a first-pitch homer to right off Chad Bettis.
Left-hander Kyle Freeland (2-7, 7.62 ERA) will start the nightcap for Colorado, while Washington will counter with lefty Patrick Corbin (7-5, 3.40).
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rockies: RHP Yency Almonte, who is 0-0 with a 4.02 ERA in 10 appearances, was added as Colorado’s 26th man for the doubleheader.
Nationals: Washington summoned INF Adrian Sanchez as its 26th man. Sanchez is hitting .200 (4 for 20) in 18 games with the Nationals this season.
ROOM TO SPREAD OUT
Washington announced an attendance of 14,628, the smallest crowd to watch a Nationals home game since 14,520 saw the Nationals beat Houston on April 18, 2012.
UP NEXT
Rockies: RHP Jeff Hoffman (1-3, 6.75 ERA), who was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday, makes his first start for Colorado since June 20 as the four-game series concludes.
Nationals: RHP Max Scherzer (9-5, 2.30) is scheduled to come off the injured list and make his first start since July 6.
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