Nats finally rally, reward Scherzer for gem, beat Rockies 6-2

The rally was coming, of this Davey Martinez was sure. Give a lineup like this enough chances, the rookie manager figured, and it would happen. Even if that lineup featured only four regulars and a couple of names even the die-hards might not have known prior to a week ago.

Sure enough, the rally did finally come. It came in the bottom of the sixth today at Nationals Park. And once it did, the Nationals finally could breathe the sigh of relief they'd been holding in for days.

With a four-run surge off fading Rockies starter Jon Gray, the Nationals came from behind and pulled out a 6-2 victory to reward Max Scherzer for another brilliant pitching performance and send a previously tense crowd of 31,700 home happy for the first time since Tuesday.

Trailing most of the afternoon, the Nats found salvation during a sustained rally that included a few elements of surprise. A suddenly resurgent Matt Wieters (2-for-4, homer, 2 RBIs) played a key role, as did Michael A. Taylor (successful squeeze play) and the previously anonymous Moisés Sierra (two-run double.

Put those together and the Nationals had themselves a legit rally for the first time in a long time. Having been held to 11 total hits in their previous 23 innings, they delivered eight hits in a span of 10 plate appearances between the sixth and seventh innings.

And so they snapped a three-game losing streak on a day in which they desperately needed to win behind their ace.

Given the makeshift lineup they were fielding, Scherzer might well have felt like he needed to be perfect. Three batters in, he was anything but. After walking Gerardo Parra on four pitches, he served up a two-run homer to Charlie Blackmon that left him team in an early hole and left the crowd exasperated at the challenge now facing this lineup to come back.

Scherzer made sure the deficit wouldn't grow any larger, though. He did so by making sure the Rockies didn't even put another man on base. Beginning with strikeouts of the two batters immediately following the Blackmon homer, he retired 20 Colorado batters in a row, 10 via strikeout.

With that performance, Scherzer notched his third 10-strikeout game in four starts to begin the season, the 67th of his career. And in each of his 10-strikeout games this year, he has issued one or fewer walks.

Still, all of this would've been for naught if the Nationals weren't able to cobble together some offense at long last. Which they finally did during a furious rally in the bottom of the sixth. Trailing 2-1 at that point via Wieters' fourth-inning homer, they set the stage with singles by Wilmer Difo and Bryce Harper. Wieters added a single to left for his second RBI of the afternoon, tying the game 2-2. That's when things really started to get interesting.

Needing to find some way to get the go-ahead runner home from third, manager Martinez put on the squeeze play, and Taylor delivered. His bunt went up the first base line, and though Ian Desmond came charging in and shoveled the ball to the plate straight from his glove, Harper's right foot slid in just ahead of Tony Wolters' tag. Or, at least, that's why replay officials in New York ruled after the Nationals challenged Gabe Morales' initial out call. It took a couple extra minutes, but the end result left the crowd no less pleased.

And they were just getting started. When Sierra (a late replacement in left field for Brian Goodwin) ripped a double to the gap in right-center, two more runs scored and the Nationals had themselves a comfortable 5-2 lead.

They made it 6-2 in the seventh when Difo singled home Ryan Zimmerman, and they could've made it even more than that if not for stranding the bases loaded with nobody out. No matter, with a fresh Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle available out of the bullpen, the Nationals had little trouble closing out this oh-so-needed victory.