Nats get a couple gifts in the sixth (also get a 4-1 win)

The Rockies are not an incredibly talented or fundamentally sound baseball team. That's why they entered today 19 games under .500. The Nationals didn't see that Rockies team yesterday. They saw a squad which got a very strong performance from its starter and put up five runs in a game started by the Nats' ace. Today, at least for an inning, the Rockies played like they're the second-worst team in baseball. They threw the ball around in the bottom of the sixth, essentially giving the Nationals two runs. Standing on first base with Bryce Harper on third and a run already in during the sixth, Ryan Zimmerman took off on a ball in the dirt. Catcher Wilin Rosario threw down to second trying to get Zimmerman, apparently forgetting Harper was just 90 feet away. The rookie outfielder alertly scampered home and got in easily, giving the Nationals a 3-1 lead. Later in the inning, with Ian Desmond on first and Zimmerman on third, pitcher Josh Roenicke (Desmond's brother-in-law) delivered an errant pickoff throw to first. The ball trickled into the Nationals' dugout, allowing Zimmerman to score. It's now 4-1 Nats, and they have Gio Gonzalez in line for his 12th win of the season. Gonzalez's day is done after six impressive innings. He allowed just one run on three hits, with three walks and six strikeouts. In 100-plus degree heat, Gonzalez threw 102 pitches, 60 for strikes. Not bad, considering the conditions. Update: Gonzalez has now tied R.A. Dickey for the most wins in the majors. The Nationals beat the Rockies 4-1, getting them back to 16 games above .500 and pushing Gonzalez's record to 12-3. Desmond and Zimmerman delivered the lone Nats RBIs on a day in which the Rockies made a whopping four errors. One game left until the All-Star break.