Instant Analysis: Nats 5, Rockies 1

Photo by USA Today

Game in a nutshell: After an extra innings win against the Phillies on Wednesday night, the Nationals entered Thursday trying to build off the thrilling victory. Stringing wins together has been a tough task for the Nats this year, but having Jordan Zimmermann on the mound certainly helped their cause. Zimmermann was brilliant and carved up the Rockies all evening, retiring 14 consecutive batters at one point. He threw eight innings with one run allowed (zero earned) and put little pressure on Washington's lineup to hold up their end. But the Nats' offense also carried their weight with five runs to complete an all-around impressive victory for the team.

Hitting highlight: Adam LaRoche gave the Nats a nice cushion in the fifth inning with a two-RBI triple into the gap in right field. Denard Span led off the inning with a double off the scoreboard in right-center and Anthony Rendon followed with a single. Both were then brought home by LaRoche who hit his second triple of the year.


Pitching highlight: Zimmermann put in another masterful performance in a long line of them this season. The Nats' right-hander went eight innings with six hits, nine strikeouts, and one walk. He was efficient with his pitch count and relentless in attacking the strike zone. Zimmermann's threw 15 pitches, for instance, in the first inning, all of them strikes.

Key stat: Anthony Rendon has 25 hits on the season in his first 21 games as a pro. Danny Espinosa had 25 in 44 games before heading to the disabled list.

Up next: The Nats and Rockies continue their four-game series with Stephen Strasburg (3-6, 2.50 ERA) and Tyler Chatwood (4-1, 2.33) facing off. Chatwood drew many comparisons to Oswalt coming up through the minors, so the Nats may see similar stuff in Game 2 as they did on Thursday.