Nationals game blog: Ryan Zimmerman feasting on Rockies pitching

With the Mets idle tonight, the Nationals look to finish off a sweep over the Rockies and gain a half-game in the race for the National League East crown. The Nationals took the first two games of the series in very different fashion.

After pouring in 15 runs on Tuesday night, the Nats were held scoreless until Bryce Harper raced home on a wild pitch in the seventh last night. A two-run triple from Jayson Werth a frame later broke a tie and helped the Nats to a 4-1 victory.

"These games are crazy here," Werth said to reporters. "You're never really out of it. When you got a lead, you got to play like there could be a big inning."

Werth is batting .353 (6-for-17) with a homer, triple, two doubles, four RBIs and five runs scored in four games against Colorado this season. The longball came off tonight's Rockies starter Yohan Flande in the Nats' 6-4 loss on Aug. 9 in D.C.

Ryan Zimmerman belted two solo shots off Flande in that game as well. Zimmerman is feasting on Rockies pitching this year, slashing .529/.625/1.059 with eight RBIs.

Zimmerman is a career .362 hitter at Coors Field with eight home runs and 38 RBIs in 32 game.

Max Scherzer looks to get back on track after experiencing his shortest outing of the season last Friday. The right-hander lasted just three innings, surrendering six runs on seven hits in the Nats' 8-5 loss in San Francisco.

Rockies slugger Carlos Gonzalez bombed two homers off Scherzer in a 6-4 win at Nationals Park on Aug. 9. Daniel Descalso also took Scherzer deep in that game. Scherzer has been tagged for eight home runs in his last five starts.

Gonzalez is batting .278 with four homers and eight RBIs in five games against Washington this season.