MLB Nacionales 11 Rockies 5

Nationals 11, Rockies 5: Ryan Zimmerman continued his torrid hitting with a homer and three RBIs and Jordan Zimmermann won for the first time in six starts as visiting Washington roughed up Colorado for the second straight night.


Jhonatan Solano also had three RBIs, Tyler Moore hit a two-run homer among his three hits and Ian Desmond delivered a solo shot for the Nationals, who registered 21 hits in their 12-5 victory Tuesday.

Rookie Bryce Harper, Michael Morse and Desmond joined Zimmermann and Solano with two hits apiece as Washington collected 14 on Wednesday.


Zimmerman is 8-for-17 in his last four games since receiving a cortisone shot in his right shoulder (inflammation) prior to Sunday’s contest.


Zimmermann (4-6) allowed one run and scattered eight hits in seven innings to record his first victory since May 22 and lower his ERA to 2.77. He improved to 3-0 lifetime against the Rockies.


Edwar Cabrera, a 24-year-old Dominican, allowed seven runs (five earned), five hits and walked three in his major-league debut as the Rockies have lost eight of their last nine at home and 16 of 20 overall.


After Zimmerman’s RBI groundout put Washington on top 1-0 in the first inning, Moore homered in the second as part of a three-run inning. The Nationals blew it open with four runs in the third inning, when Zimmerman and Desmond hit solo homers and Solano hit a two-run double to make it 8-0.


Colorado’s Marco Scutaro, who sat out Tuesday for precautionary reasons after getting beaned by Stephen Strasburg on Monday, returned to the lineup and went 2-for-5 with two RBIs.


GAME NOTEBOOK: The Nationals turned four double plays, including one started by an acrobatic Desmond to end the seventh inning. The Rockies turned three. … Cabrera, who was 8-4 with a 2.94 ERA and struck out 82 in 98 innings at Double-A Tulsa this season, led the minor leagues with 217 strikeouts in 2011. … The Nationals improved to 3-3 on their 10-game road trip.