Washington Nationals Erupt for 13 Runs to Hand Rockies Season-Worst Seventh Straight Loss

The Washington Nationals turned a scoreless pitchers' duel into a demolition derby on Sunday night, routing the Colorado Rockies 13-3 at Nationals Park to extend Colorado's slide to a season-worst seven consecutive losses. The Nationals scored five runs in the fifth inning to break the game open, then added eight more over the final four frames to hand the struggling Rockies their most lopsided defeat of the losing streak.

CJ Abrams delivered the go-ahead RBI in the pivotal fifth inning that saw Washington send nine batters to the plate and turn a 1-1 deadlock into a 6-1 cushion. The Nationals' lineup pounded Rockies pitchers for 16 hits on the night, with multiple players contributing multi-hit performances in the offensive barrage. After going hitless through the first four innings against Colorado starter Ryan Feltner, the Nationals broke through with two singles to open the fifth and never looked back.

Willi Castro provided a bright spot for the Rockies in the losing effort, crushing his 15th home run of the season—a solo shot to right field in the early innings that briefly gave Colorado a 1-0 lead. Castro finished the night 2-for-4 and accounted for all three Rockies runs, but his offensive contributions were overshadowed by Washington's relentless attack. Ezequiel Tovar also homered for Colorado, but the Rockies managed just six hits total as the offense sputtered for the seventh consecutive game.

Cade Cavalli earned the victory for Washington, winning his fourth consecutive start and holding the Rockies in check through six solid innings of work. The Nationals right-hander scattered six hits and allowed three earned runs while striking out multiple batters to keep Colorado's lineup off balance. Feltner took the loss for the Rockies, falling to 5-8 on the season after surrendering six earned runs in five innings of work.

The seven-game losing streak marks the longest of the season for Colorado, which entered August with playoff aspirations but has since fallen out of contention in the National League West. The Rockies have been outscored 52-21 during the seven-game skid, with the pitching staff allowing at least six runs in five of those contests. Colorado will look to snap the streak on Monday when it continues the series against Washington.

For the Nationals, the offensive explosion marked their second double-digit scoring performance in the last week and provided a much-needed confidence boost as the team battles for a Wild Card position. Washington added three runs in the sixth inning, two in the seventh, and three more in the eighth to turn a competitive game into a rout. The Nationals improved their record to 62-71 on the season and gained ground in the crowded Wild Card race with the dominant victory.