WASHINGTON
Jayson Werth and Daniel Murphy hit solo homers and drove in two runs each, and Gio Gonzalez earned his 100th career victory as the Washington Nationals beat the Colorado Rockies 8-5 on Friday night.
Gonzalez (9-9) threw six innings and allowed two runs and four hits with one walk and five strikeouts.
Closer Mark Melancon retired Christhian Adames for the final out for his 37th save. Melancon entered the game shortly after Nick Hundley hit a three-run homer off Shawn Kelley to pull the Rockies within three.
While Gonzalez hit the century mark, Rockies rookie Jeff Hoffman (0-2), remains in search of his first major league win.
Hoffman allowed a homer to the second batter he faced when Werth went deep for the second time in as many days and the 18th time this season.
Murphy gave the Nationals a 4-2 lead in the fifth with his team-leading 25th homer. The solo blast gave the Nationals second baseman 500 career runs batted in.
Nationals rookie Trea Turner led off multiple innings with an infield single and his speed caused the Rockies to commit three errors. Turner stole his 16th base and scored two runs.
Hoffman tossed six innings and allowed four runs (three earned) and six hits with four walks and three strikeouts. The Nationals blew the game open with a four-run seventh off reliever Matt Carasiti, highlighted by a two-run triple by Bryce Harper.
Colorado’s Ryan Raburn was 2 for 2 with a double and two runs scored, while Hundley was 3 for 4 with his seventh homer and four RBIs.
Rockies: 2B D.J. LeMahieu participated in the pregame workout, but was held out a third straight game with a wrist injury. Manager Walt Weiss said that barring any issues from the workout, he anticipates LeMahieu returning to the lineup Saturday. LeMahieu entered play Friday second in the National League with a .344 average.
Nationals: C Wilson Ramos was given a second straight night off Friday, with backup Jose Lobaton starting in his place. Manager Dusty Baker said that Ramos is healthy and will start Saturday. The NL’s top-hitting catcher (.312) is 1 for 22 in his last five games.
Rockies: LHP Jorge De La Rosa (8-7) will look to build off his best start of the season when he takes the mound Saturday against the Nationals. De La Rosa threw a career-high tying eight innings and allowed two runs and four hits with one walk and six strikeouts in an 11-4 win over the Cubs on Aug. 21.
Nationals: RHP A.J. Cole (0-1) will make his second start of the season Saturday against Colorado. Cole, was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse last Monday when Stephen Strasburg was paced on the DL. The 24-year-old threw seven innings and allowed four runs and five hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in a 4-3 loss to the Orioles on Aug. 22.
