Lane Thomas doubled to tie the game, and Joey Meneses singled to score the go-ahead run in the ninth inning, leading the Washington Nationals to a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. This win secured the Nationals a 2-1 series victory.
The Nationals were trailing 1-0 going into the ninth inning and had only managed one hit against Rockies pitchers Kyle Freeland and Nick Mears. However, they managed to break through against Jalen Beeks (4-4), who was pitching in relief.
Michael Toglia hit a home run in the second inning, providing the Rockies’ only run of the game.
The ninth-inning rally started with Jacob Young’s infield single, followed by CJ Abrams reaching on a fielder’s choice and advancing to second on a wild pitch by Beeks. Lane Thomas then hit a double to right field, scoring Abrams and tying the game. Thomas then stole third base, setting up Joey Meneses’ game-winning single.
Nationals manager Dave Martinez praised the team’s resilience, saying, “Hitting isn’t easy, especially in a day game in Colorado. But when our backs were against the wall, the guys showed character and fought hard. They play with determination for all 27 outs, and I’m proud of them.”
The Nationals have been in excellent form since June 7, posting an 11-4 record, the best in the majors during this period. They have won four of their last five series.
Kyle Finnegan, who faced a pitch-clock violation issue the previous night resulting in a pivotal walk in a loss, rebounded by allowing singles to Ryan McMahon and Brendan Rodgers but struck out Nolan Jones and Michael Toglia around a flyout by Hunter Goodman to secure his 22nd save of the season.
