Rockies clinch postseason berth with 5-2 win

Rockies clinch postseason berth with 5-2 win

David Dahl homered for the fifth straight game, Kyle Freeland worked six tough innings, and the Colorado Rockies clinched a spot in the postseason with a 5-2 win over the Washington Nationals in Denver on Friday night.

The Rockies (90-70) secured at least the second wild card with their eighth straight win while moving closer to their first-ever division title. They entered Friday with a one-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West, with the Dodgers still to play later Friday night in San Francisco.

Trea Turner had a two-run triple for Washington, which had its three-game winning streak snapped.

Dahl tied the franchise record with home runs in consecutive games on a night the long ball lifted the offense. Ian Desmond and Chris Iannetta hit back-to-back homers in the fifth inning to make a winner out of Freeland (17-7).

Freeland was knocked around but was able to hold the Nationals (81-79) to just two runs. Washington had 11 hits off the lefty but couldn’t do more damage. The Nationals loaded the bases in the second inning but Freeland got pitcher Joe Ross to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Two singles and a walk loaded the bases in the third but Mark Reynolds struck out to end the threat.

The 11 hits allowed were a season high for Freeland but he did set the club record for the lowest season ERA at 2.85.

Charlie Blackmon hit his 28th home run with two outs in the third but Turner gave the Nationals a 2-1 lead with a two-out triple in the fourth that scored two runs.

Carlos Gonzalez led off the fifth with a single off Ross (0-2) and Desmond hit his 22nd homer to give the Rockies a 3-2 lead. Two pitches later Iannetta went deep to make it a two-run lead.

Dahl increased the lead to 5-2 with a leadoff homer in the sixth.

Wade Davis got the last three outs for his 43rd save.

–Field Level Media

Advertisement

Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk