DENVER – Ryan McMahon drew a bases-loaded walk by Kyle Finnegan on a full-count pitch clock violation as the Colorado Rockies scored two runs in the ninth inning to earn an 8-7 win over the Washington Nationals on Saturday night.
This was the first game decided by a pitch clock violation in major league history. Nationals closer Finnegan leads the league with nine pitch clock violations this season.
“I’m just trying to focus on the pitch and then the location,” Finnegan said. “I thought I picked up the clock. I think by the time I picked up the clock and looked at the catcher and made the pitch, I was too late. In those situations, that can’t happen. We deserved to win. were, and I wasn’t able to do my job.”
Colorado had four consecutive singles to start the ninth off Finnegan (2-4) and lifted McMahon, who was down 0-2. Hunter Goodman and Jake Cave led off single innings, and Brenton Doyle singled to tie it after two bunt attempts failed. Ezequiel Tovar hit a single to right field to load the bases. Finnegan had converted 21 of his last 23 save opportunities.
“You hate to see a game decided that way, but I’m glad the outcome went in our favor,” McMahon said. “I never look (at the clock). I’m letting the umpire do his job. Until the umpire said something, I didn’t know what was happening.”
The pitch clock was adopted in 2023, but the time between pitches with runners on base was reduced from 20 seconds to 18 seconds this season.
“Kyle has had some trouble with the clock recently,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. “There wasn’t really any harm done to him up to that point, but it’s something that we felt could come back to haunt him at some point. He could have backed off, but it’s a tough situation.
“It’s something he has to take care of. He’s very slow. So it burned him today. Normally it doesn’t burn him.”
Luis Garcia hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning to give Washington a 7–5 lead and C.J. Abrams had three hits, including his 12th home run. The Nationals had won 10 out of 13.
Abrams completed three times less than the cycle, extending his hitting streak to 13 games. He had two RBI and scored twice.
Brendan Rodgers, Goodman and McMahon homered for the Rockies, who tied the score on Goodman’s homer in the seventh off Jacob Barnes. Goodman has five homers in his last eight games. McMahon had three hits, and his bases-empty homer in the eighth inning brought the Rockies within one run at 7–6.
Colorado manager Bud Black said, “The Rockies and the Nationals are part of history.” “how about that?”
Tovar had two hits, two walks and two runs scored. They took a 4–2 lead on catcher Jacob Stallings’ single in the first inning and Rodgers’ three-run homer in the third inning. Rodgers played his first game since June 7, when he suffered a hamstring injury. He hit the cleanup for the eighth time this season.
Abrams and Lane Thomas drove in single runs for a 5–4 lead in the seventh inning, but the Nationals found themselves out by more when Abrams and Thomas grounded out attempting to steal second. Thomas got two hits.
The Nationals rank third in the majors with 104 stolen bases, but have been thrown out of the big leagues 38 times. Stallings threw out three of the four Nationals runners attempting to steal at second.
“Getting thrown out isn’t going to stop us from being aggressive on base routes,” Abrams said. “We’ll keep doing what we’re doing.”
Nationals starter Mitchell Parker gave up four runs and six hits while striking out eight, including the last five he faced. He had not given up more than three earned runs in any of his previous 12 starts.
Colorado starter Cal Quantrill gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings for his ninth quality start. He left with a lead of 4-3.
Washington left fielder Jesse Winker was thrown out by plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt after taking a third strike for the second out in the fifth inning. Winker briefly argued with Wendelstedt at the plate and was ejected after going to the dugout, his sixth career ejection.
instructor’s room
Rockies: RHP Jake Byrd (groin tightness) was removed from the game after facing three batters in the seventh inning. … RF Sean Bouchard (back pain) was replaced after three innings. … RHP German Marquez (Tommy John surgery) gave up one hit in four scoreless innings in his rehab start for Class A Spokane on Saturday. He struck out three, walked two and threw 50 pitches.
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Colorado LHP Kyle Freeland (0-3, 13.21 ERA) is expected to be activated from the injured list to make his fifth start on Sunday after missing nine weeks with a left elbow strain, and first since April 14. . He will oppose Nationals RHP Jake Irvin (5-6, 3.24).
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