Washington Nationals 6-3 over Colorado Rockies to set up rubber match in Coors Field...

Patrick Corbin held the Colorado Rockies to three runs (two earned) on five hits over six in Coors Field, and the Washington Nationals scored four runs in the third (on a bases loaded double by Victor Robles and sac fly by Howie Kendrick) and added two in the ninth in what ended up a 6-3 win.

Corbin in Colorado: In the first two outings with the Nationals, after signing a 6-year/$140M free agent deal this winter, Patrick Corbin gave up 13 hits, three walks, and five earned runs over 12 IP, in which he struck out 13, but the left-hander turned things around in starts 3-4 of his first season with Washington, giving up just six hits, two walks, and two earned runs over 14 ²⁄₃ IP, in which he struck out 20.

Corbin took the mound tonight in Denver, Colorado’s Coors Field with a 2.36 ERA, 3.25 FIP, and a .198/.245/.375 line against on the season, though he’d struggled in the Rockies’ home in his career (6.55 ERA, .322/.370/.568 line against in 11 G, 10 GS, 55 IP), and he fell behind early in the second game of the three-game series when Raimel Tapia hit a 1-0 slider out to right for a two-out, two-run home run in the second, 2-0.

Corbin singled and scored as part of a four-run third, and kept it 4-2 Nationals through the fourth.

A two-out single by Charlie Blackmon and a walk by Trevor Story in the fifth brought Nolan Arenado up as the potential go-ahead run, but Corbin got a grounder for what should have been out No. 3. Wilmer Difo bobbled it though, and a run scored when he couldn’t corral it, 4-3 Nationals after five.

Corbin came back out for the sixth at 94 pitches, and retired the side in order in a nine-pitch frame that ended his outing...

Patrick Corbin’s Line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 Ks, 1 HR, 103 P, 66 S, 6/5 GO/FO.

Hoffman vs the Nationals: A blister on Kyle Freeland’s middle finger landed the left-hander on the 10-Day DL, so the Rockies called Jeff Hoffman up from Triple-A Albuquerque to start tonight’s game against the Nationals.

Hoffman, a first round pick by the Blue Jays in 2014 who was acquired from Toronto in the Troy Tulowitzki trade in 2015, made his MLB debut in 2016, but the 26-year-old right-hander started the season with the Rockies’ top minor league affiliate this year, going (0-2) in three games, two starts, and 11 ²⁄₃ IP, over which he gave up 20 hits and 18 ER (13.89 ERA).

Making his 24th major league start tonight, Hoffman tossed two scoreless to start, as the Rockies jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but he gave up back-to-back-to-back singles in the first three at bats of the third, and a base-clearing double to center field by Victor Robles, who put the Nationals on top, 3-2, with his seventh two-bagger of 2019. Robles stole third and scored to make it 4-2 on a Howie Kendrick sac fly.

Hoffman kept it there through five, and the Rockies pulled within one in the bottom of the fifth, before he was lifted...

Jeff Hoffman’s Line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 6 Ks, 85 P, 58 S, 4/4 GO/FO.

Streaking Updates: Victor Robles had an early-career-best seven-game hit streak (8 for 25, 2 doubles) end with an 0 for 4 night against the Rockies in the series opener, but teammate and fellow outfielder Adam Eaton extended his own hit streak to eight-straight games, over which the 30-year-old outfielder was 14 for 34 (.412/.459/.559) two doubles, a homer, three walks, and four Ks.

Eaton singled in his second at bat of the game, for a nine-game hit streak, and he scored on a three-run double by Robles as the Nationals took a 3-2 lead in the third.

The top two hitters in the lineup were a combined 4 for 7 with 3 RBIs (all by Robles) after a two-out triple by Eaton in the seventh.

BULLPEN ACTION: Bryan Shaw came on for the Rockies in the top of the sixth, and worked around a Ryan Zimmerman single for a scoreless frame. Still 4-3 Nationals.

Shaw worked around a two-out triple by Adam Eaton for a scoreless seventh inning as well.

Joe Ross got the seventh for the Nationals in a one-run game, but was replaced after he set one batter down with Davey Martinez opting for a matchup of Tony Sipp vs left-hand pinch hitter David Dahl and left-handed hitting outfielder Charlie Blackmon and Sipp retired them both to keep it a 4-3 game.

Carlos Estévez replaced Shaw in the top of the eighth and worked around a two-out walk for a scoreless frame.

Wander Suero got the eighth for the Nationals with Trevor Story, Nolan Arenado, and Mark Reynolds due up, and he gave up a leadoff double to left-center by Story on a 1-1 cutter up and out over the plate. Arenado stepped in with a runner in scoring position and grounded out to short unproductively. Reynolds fell behind 0-2 and K’d swinging at a high cutter.

Martinez went to the bullpen again against Ryan McMahon, bringing Sean Doolittle on for a four-out save. He got out No. 1 of 4 with a three-pitch K of McMahon.

Estévez walked Brian Dozier in the first at bat of the ninth, prompting Buddy Black to go to the pen for lefty Mike Dunn, who gave up a double to right by Matt Adams. Wilmer Difo hit one to third on a hop that Nolan Arenado knocked down but couldn’t find.

Adam Eaton stepped in with the bases loaded and grounded into a force at home for out No. 1. D.J. Johnson came on for the Rockies against Victor Robles, and struck him out.

Juan Soto got up 3-0, went to 3-2, fouled a full count pitch off the top of his right foot, and after a visit from the trainer, walked to force in the fifth run of the game, 5-3, and a HBP on Howie Kendrick made it 6-3.

Doolittle came back out for the bottom of the ninth and retired the Rockies in order to end it. Ballgame.

Nationals now 11-11