DENVER – Ryan McMahon drew a charged walk on a full count and a pitching clock violation by Kyle Finnegan as the Colorado Rockies scored two runs in the ninth inning for an 8-7 victory over the Washington Nationals Saturday night.
It was the first game decided by a shot clock violation in major league history. Nationals get closer Finnegan leads the league with nine shot clock violations this season.
“I just try to focus on the field and then the location,” Finnegan said. “I thought I took the time. I guess by the time I picked up, looked at the catcher and made the throw, I was just a hair too late. Those situations, that just can’t happen. We deserved to win, and I wasn’t able to do my job.”
Colorado hit four straight singles to open the ninth against Finnegan (2-4) to put up McMahon, who fell behind 0-2. Hunter Goodman and Jake Cave singled to open the inning, and Brenton Doyle singled to tie the game after committing two bunt attempts. Ezequiel Tovar hit a line drive single to right to load the bases. Finnegan had converted 21 of his previous 23 save chances.
“You hate to see a match decided that way, but I’m happy it worked in our favor,” McMahon said. “I never look at (the clock). I let the referee do his job. I didn’t know what was happening until the referee said something.”
The pitch clock was adopted in 2023, but the time between pitches with runners on base was shortened from 20 seconds to 18 this season.
“Kyle has had some issues with the clock lately,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said. “It hadn’t really cost him so far, but it’s something that we think could come back to haunt him at some point. He could have walked away, but it’s a tough situation.
“It’s something he needs to be aware of. He’s just slow. So it burned him today. Generally, it didn’t burn him.”
Luis Garcia hit a two-run homer to give Washington a 7-5 lead in the eighth inning, and CJ Abrams had three hits, including his 12th home run. The Nationals had won 10 of 13.
Abrams completed a triple before the cycle while extending his hitting streak to 13 games. He had two RBIs and scored twice.
Brendan Rodgers, Goodman and McMahon scored for the Rockies, who tied it on Goodman’s homer in the seventh off Jacob Barnes. Goodman has hit five home runs in the last eight games. McMahon had three hits and his scoreless home run in the eighth inning brought the Rockies within one run at 7-6.
“The Rockies and the Nationals are history,” Colorado manager Bud Black said. “And that ?”
Tovar had two hits, two walks and two runs. He scored on catcher Jacob Stallings’ single in the first inning and Rodgers’ three-run homer for a 4-2 lead in the third. Rodgers played his first game since June 7, when he injured his hamstring. He made the cleanup for the eighth time this season.
Abrams and Lane Thomas scored runs for a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning, but the Nationals found themselves short of more when Abrams and Thomas were thrown out while trying to steal second. Thomas had two hits.
The Nationals are third in the majors with 104 stolen bases, but have been thrown out a major league high 38 times. Stallings threw out three of the four Nationals runners attempting a steal, all on second.
“Being kicked out won’t stop us from being aggressive on the base paths,” Abrams said. “We’re going to keep doing what we’re doing.”
Nationals starter Mitchell Parker allowed four runs and six hits while striking out eight, including the last five he faced. He hadn’t allowed more than three earned runs in his previous 12 starts.
Colorado starter Cal Quantrill allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings for his ninth quality start. He leaves with a 4-3 lead.
Washington left fielder Jesse Winker was ejected by home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt after making a third out for the second out of the fifth inning. Winker briefly argued with Wendelstedt at the plate and was ejected after entering the dugout, his sixth career ejection.
TRAINERS ROOM
Rockies: RHP Jake Bird (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) allowed one hit in four scoreless innings in a rehab start for Class A Spokane on Saturday. He struck out three, walked two and threw 50 pitches.
FOLLOWING
Colorado LHP Kyle Freeland (0-3, 13.21 ERA) is expected to be activated from the injured list to make his fifth start Sunday, and first since April 14, after missing nine weeks with a sprained left elbow. He will face Nationals RHP Jake Irvin (5-6, 3.24).
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