Washington Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond has been phenomenal this season with the bases loaded. On Monday, he smacked a bases-clearing double to left in the sixth inning of the Nationals’ 7-3 win over the Colorado Rockies.
“He was patient enough to get a ball up in the zone,” Nationals’ manager Matt Williams said in his postgame press conference on MLB.com. “The at-bat before, he swung at some balls down out of the zone.”
Desmond is 6-for-6 this year with 14 RBI with the bases loaded, reports ESPN Stats & Info.
Desmond’s double was part of the Nationals’ five-run sixth inning that gave them the lead for good.
Second baseman Anthony Rendon led the inning off with a base hit. Right fielder Jayson Werth followed with a walk. After first baseman Adam LaRoche struck out swinging, third baseman Ryan Zimmerman doubled to left, scoring Rendon. Left fielder Bryce Harper was intentionally walked, loading the bases for Desmond. After Desmond doubled, he stole third and came around to score on catcher Wilson Ramos’ ground out to second.
This rally came after the Rockies seized a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki smacked an RBI double to left to score center fielder Drew Stubbs. Tulowitzki came around to score on a Ryan Wheeler sacrifice fly.
Tulowitzki also scored the Rockies’ third run of the game, which came in the eighth inning on a wild pitch, according to ESPN .
Washington starter Jordan Zimmermann improved to 6-4, allowing two runs on seven hits and striking out five in six innings of work. Colorado starter Yohan Flande suffered the loss, allowing three runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings.
The Nationals remain a half of a game behind the Atlanta Braves for the lead in the NL East and will look to move atop the standing on Tuesday with a win in game two of their series with the Rockies.