Garcia, Millas slug homers as Nationals pound out 19 hits in an 11-5 win over the Rockies

Updated Jun. 22, 2024 1:05 a.m. ET

Associated Press

DENVER (AP) — Luis Garcia Jr. hit three-run homer in a five-run third inning, Drew Millas had a home run among his three hits and the Washington National pounded out a season-high 19 hits in an 11-5 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night.

Ezequiel Tovar, Hunter Goodman, and Nolan Jones homered for the Rockies in a game in which the teams combined for 30 hits.

Jacob Young had three hits and scored three runs, and CJ Abrams added three hits, with the first of his two doubles coming on the first pitch of the game from Dakota Hudson (2-10) to extend his career-best hitting streak to 12 games. Lane Thomas finished a homer shy of the cycle. “We stayed on the ball. We hit the whole field,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “Offensively, everybody contributed. We did really well.” The offensive display came on the heels of a sluggish series against Arizona this week in which they were held to five runs, losing two of three to the Diamondbacks.

“I think we hit some balls hard in those last couple of games at home, but you know sometimes they don’t fall,” Thomas said. “Sometimes you need a day like today to break out and get some hits and get everybody moving in the right direction again.” Tovar finished with three hits, including his 12th homer of the season as the Rockies fell to 5-15 in June. Colorado also hit another dubious milestone with their 50th loss of the season for a 26-50 record.

Leading 5-1 going into the top of the fourth, Millas homered off Hudson, igniting a four-run burst for the Nationals. Thomas chipped in with a two-run double off reliever Geoff Hartlieb, and Eddie Rosario had a sacrifice fly.

Jones and Goodman each homered during a three-run burst in the bottom of the fourth, and Colorado got another run on Sean Bouchard’s sacrifice fly. The Nationals added a pair of runs in the sixth on a run-scoring double by Abrams and an RBI triple by Thomas.

Hudson went three innings and allowed 11 hits and eight runs in his National League-leading 10th loss. “With Dakota, I just think it was multiple misses up, and on the wrong side of the plate,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “I mean, the backbreaker for him was the three-run homer. He tried to throw that breaking ball back door to the lefty and got it down right into his swing, into the wheelhouse where, you know, probably the only place where that kid has a little bit of power.”

DJ Herz, who was coming off his first big league win against Miami with a season-high 13 strikeouts over six scoreless innings, could not replicate that outing at Colorado. He went 3 2/3 innings and allowed seven hits and four runs, three earned.

“DJ got a little tired at the end,” Martinez said. “He was losing his mechanics a little bit, so we had to get him out of there.”

But Martinez told the young pitcher, who was pitching at altitude for the first time, “Hey, you should be proud of yourself. It ain’t easy to pitch here. It gets everybody the first time out. But you did great, you really did.’ He pounded the strike zone like we asked him to. He did really well.”

Dylan Floro (2-1) worked an inning of scoreless relief.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Nationals: RHP Jose Ferrer, sidelined since mid-March, is inching closer to a return. He threw a bullpen session Friday and his fastball was measured at between 96mph and 99 mph. “He threw the ball really well. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow,” manager Dave Martinez said. …RHP Josiah Gray (elbow strain) has been sent to Triple-A Rochester to make another rehab start. He’s scheduled to pitch on Tuesday and throw up to 90 pitches.

Rockies: LHP Kyle Freeland (left elbow strain) is expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list Sunday and start against the Washington Nationals. It would mark his first mound appearance since mid-April. … OF-DH Charlie Blackmon was placed on the IL with a strained right hamstring and the team selected the contract of OF Sam Hilliard from Triple-A Albuquerque. … INF Brendan Rodgers (left hamstring strain) has been reinstated from the IL and the team placed INF Adael Amador on the 10-day IL with a right oblique strain.

UP NEXT

LHP Mitchell Parker (5-3, 3.06 ERA) is set to start for the Nationals on Saturday, and the Rockies will counter with RHP Cal Quantrill (6-5, 3.43 ERA).

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