Abrams walks off Rockies to complete another comeback win (updated)

Despite the long wait and two rain delays, the Nationals built some momentum at the end of last night’s game with Joey Meneses’ dramatic three-run home run in the eighth inning.

After a 10-6 loss to the Rockies on Monday, the Nats were hoping to ride the high from a 6-5 win last night (or more accurately, early this morning) into this afternoon’s finale.

Well, for most of the afternoon, it seemed like it hadn’t. Then all of a sudden, the scrappy Nats came right back for another late rally.

The Nationals came back from another three-run deficit to beat the Rockies 5-4 on CJ Abrams’ walk-off single in the ninth in front of 16,893 fans who attended Nats Park on a blistering hot Camp Day.

"We showed hard as a team," Abrams said after the dramatic win. "It’s never over til it’s over, so keep fighting until it is.”

Lane Thomas and Jeimer Candelario drew back-to-back walks against right-hander Daniel Bard, who notoriously has dealt with the yips in the past, to start the ninth and then Meneses singled to load the bases with no outs.

“We were gonna be patient," manager Davey Martinez said. "I told the guys, ‘Hey, you gotta make him throw you strikes.’ They did a good job of doing that."

“We talked to them before they went up there. He's coming in the game, you got to make them throw you strikes. Get the ball in the zone, make him throw strikes. They're all aware of it (the yips) and then they went in there and they did the job.”

After a Keibert Ruiz infield popout, Dominic Smith was hit by a pitch to drive in the first run of the inning. Then Stone Garrett’s infield chopper scored the second run. After Luis García was intentionally walked, pinch-hitter Ildemaro Vargas drew a four-pitch walk to tie the game and set up Abrams' heroics on the third pitch from righty Matt Koch, who had just relieved Bard.

“I’m just trying to get a good pitch to hit," Abrams said. "Kinda swung too hard on the first one, swung under it. But just get a base hit and scored the winning run.

“I was just looking for anything in the zone. Saw one in the zone, swung at it. I hit the cutter. Cutter kind of got in on me and got a lucky bounce.”

Three home runs off starter Jake Irvin was almost enough for Colorado to leave town with a series win.

"Three really bad pitches," he said.

With game time temperature of 86 degrees that reached the 90s during the game, Irvin, who has dealt with sweat issues this year, had to find a way to combat the heat and the Rockies hitters.

“It was tough," he said. "I've been working with the training staff to kind of manage that sweating, especially on the pitching hand, and felt really good today.”

After working around a single and a balk to escape the first inning unscathed, Irvin gave up a double to Harold Castro and a home run to Elehuris Montero – the third longball of the season for the 24-year-old – in the second as the Rockies took an early 2-0 lead.

The 81-mph curveball from Irvin stayed up the middle-inside part of the zone for the right-handed batter to belt to left field.

In the third, Irvin actually made a solid pitch to Ryan McMahon, an 89 mph changeup low and inside. But the veteran infielder was able to golf it to the second deck in center field, 441 feet from home plate, for a 3-0 lead.

Irvin then issued back-to-back two-out walks following the McMahon homer, but got out of the jam and proceeded to retire seven of the next eight batters he faced.

But in the sixth, Michael Toglia hit a first-pitch high fastball for a leadoff homer – just his second of the year – and a 4-1 lead.

Irvin did complete at least six innings for the second straight start. But the three homers made up for half the hits and all the runs he surrendered to go along with two walks and seven strikeouts.

"That’s the goal," Irvin said. "Come out here every day and just give us a chance. The offense has been doing fantastic things lately. I’m just trying to keep us in it for as long as possible. And they really put on for us.”

And he was backed by Jordan Weems, Joe La Sorsa and Andrés Machado, who combined to pitch three perfect innings to close the game.

"He kept us in the ballgame," Martinez said of Irvin. "Gave up only six hits. Unfortunately, three of them were homers, but he kept us in the game, and our bullpen comes in and shuts them down, which allowed us to come back and do what we did. So kudos to those guys. Those guys were really good today.

After last night’s comeback win, you wouldn’t think another three-run deficit would be enough to bury the Nats this afternoon. Especially after they’ve averaged six runs over their last 13 games and just over six runs a game this homestand.

But it almost was, as the offense couldn’t get anything going after Peter Lambert and the Rockies bullpen until the ninth.

The 26-year-old right-hander started the afternoon for Colorado by allowing only one unearned run and three hits over six innings.

The Nats’ first run of the afternoon came in the third, when Abrams drew a leadoff walk, Thomas singled to short and both runners moved into scoring position on Ezequiel Tovar’s throwing error to first. Abrams then scored on Candelario’s groundout to second.

The Nats finished the homestand 5-1 and now head out on a quick four-game road trip to New York to face the Mets.

“We had a great homestand after struggling here playing at home," Martinez said. "The way we came back the last two days was awesome. I can't tell you enough about the character of these guys. They don't give in. They don't give up. They play hard for 27 outs. We talked about that before. And last two days showed that, so proud of the way they're going out and playing. I'd like for them to score a little bit earlier. That would be nice. We'll take it any way we can. So it was a good job by them. Now we go back to New York and go 1-0 tomorrow.”

Hopefully, the winning ways they found on South Capitol Street will follow them on the road, where their record is over 100 percentage points better than when they’re at home, and specifically to Citi Field, where they’re already 2-1 this year.

“It’s good momentum," Abrams said. "Like I said, we’re just gonna keep it going and try to sweep the Mets.”