Colorado Rockies closer Seth Halvorsen never even turned around to watch the ball fly. He just walked off the mound, knowing he’d given up a game-winning homer.
James Wood, the Washington Nationals’ rising star, launched Halvorsen’s 1-0 splitter 428 feet to center field for a two-run, 11th-inning walk-off homer Thursday afternoon at Nationals Park. Washington won, 4-3, snapping an 11-game losing streak.
Wood had also hit a two-run homer earlier off starter Chase Dollander, but interim manager Warren Schaeffer let Halvorsen face him with two outs and first base open. Bad decision. Wood’s walk-off blast was his 20th homer of the season.
The Rockies went 4-3 on their road trip – a relative success for a team with a 17-58 record – but saw their four-game winning streak end. They also blew a chance for their first four-game series sweep since May 27–30, 2019, when they beat Arizona in four straight at Coors Field.
Colorado took a 3-2 lead in the top of the 11th on Michael Toglia’s RBI single, which drove in Ryan McMahon, who had started the inning on second base.
Washington struck first, taking a 2-0 lead in the fourth on Wood’s first homer – a two-run shot off Dollander. The Nationals’ most dangerous hitter ripped the first-pitch changeup 403 feet to center field. Dollander has now given up 14 homers in 12 starts, a key reason why the rookie right-hander holds a 6.19 ERA.
Still, Dollander delivered a solid outing, allowing two runs on six hits over six innings. He struck out two and didn’t issue a walk.
The Rockies tied the game at 2-2 in the fifth on an RBI double by Jordan Beck off Nationals right-hander Trevor Williams. Mickey Moniak followed with a single to right field to bring Beck home.
But Colorado, which left 10 men on base, wasted several chances to win.
The Rockies open a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night at Coors Field.