The Nationals returned to the senior circuit on Monday night in Colorado looking to rebound from their series loss to the Orioles. But the offense stalled out against the Rockies, striking out 10 times against the Colorado staff in a 4-2 loss. Rockies' starter Jeff Francis went five innings and gave up just two runs, giving way to his bullpen which shut Washington down to yield a Colorado comeback win.

Ryan Zimmerman opened the scoring with a double to left right that knocked in Jesus Flores. The Nationals catcher would score again in the fifth to put Washington ahead 2-1. This time it was pitcher Stephen Strasburg who doubled home Flores for their second lead of the game. But that would be it for Davey Johnson's lineup.

Strasburg was solid, whiffing eight rockies in six innings of work. But he gave up the one-run lead in his final inning. The sixth started with a Dexter Fowler triple to deep right and Strasburg then drilled Marco Scutaro in the head with a 95-mph fastball. Scutaro was taken out of the game but walked off under his own power. After the delay, Carlos Gonzalez stepped into the box and brought home Fowler with a single to right. Chris Nelson, who was running for Scutaro, would come home for the go-ahead run on a Todd Helton sacrifice fly. That's all the Rockies would need, but Nelson singled home an insurance run one inning later off Tom Gorzelanny.

Gio Gonzalez will try to even the series in Game 2 on Tuesday night against Christian Friedrich.

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