Daylen Lile homers as Nationals top Rockies 7-1 to split 4-game series

WASHINGTON (AP) — Daylen Lile homered and drove in two runs as part of a three-hit day, and the Washington Nationals beat the Colorado Rockies 7-1 to split their four-game series Thursday.

Keibert Ruiz also went deep for Washington, which had dropped 12 of 15. The Nationals won a game started by a pitcher other than Cade Cavalli for the first time since Aug. 9.

Colorado fell to an NL-worst 52-82, clinching its eighth consecutive losing season. The Rockies were 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position and left 13 on base overall.

Lile led off the fifth inning with a drive to right off Gabriel Hughes (0-6) for his 18th home run this season . The left fielder was 8 for 15 with three homers and eight RBIs in the series.

Tom Cosgrove (1-2) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings in relief for his first win since his major league debut on April 29, 2023, a span of 89 appearances.

The Nationals scored twice in the first on Lile’s bloop RBI single and Brady House’s sacrifice fly.

Colorado loaded the bases on a hit batsman and two walks in the third against Jake Irvin before Brett Sullivan’s infield single pushed across a run.

Washington made it 3-1 when Dylan Crews’ bases-loaded grounder in the fourth barely left the dirt area around the plate but still gave Jacob Young time to score from third.

Ruiz capped a three-run eighth with a two-run shot into the Nationals’ bullpen in right off Jimmy Herget.

Hughes gave up four runs in five innings. He struck out three and yielded seven hits and four walks.

Irvin allowed a run on three hits and a career-high six walks in 4 1/3 innings while striking out six.

RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (12-7, 4.96 ERA) starts Friday as Colorado’s road trip continues in Atlanta.

Rookie LHP Jackson Kent (0-2, 8.03) makes his fourth start Friday as Washington’s homestand continues with the opener of a four-game series against Miami.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB