Bryce Harper played hero on two occasions for the Washington Nationals on Thursday night, but the Nats' pitching couldn't hold up. The Colorado Rockies shellacked Edwin Jackson for eight earned runs, but the Nationals came back to force extra innings. In the bottom of the 11th, Marco Scutaro drove in Jonathan Herrera, winning the game 11-10 for his team.
In the top of the 5th inning, with the Rockies down 9-5, Harper drove in Danny Espinosa with an RBI single, starting a four-run rally that tied the game at 9-9. The Rockies took the lead right back in the bottom of the inning, with pitcher Josh Roenicke scoring on a no-out, bases loaded double play on which the Nats had no play at the plate.
Neither team scored again until the top of the 9th, when Harper rescued the Nationals with a solo home run to make it 10-10. The Rockies got a runner in scoring position with one out in the bottom of the 9th, but the Nationals turned their seventh double play in the last two games to force extra innings.
The bottom of the Rockies' order got the job done in the 11th, with Herrera getting on with a double, which was followed by a pinch-hit walk by Jason Giambi. Rick Ankiel made a great catch on a long fly ball by Dexter Fowler, but Hererra was able to tag up to third. Scutaro was next up and drove in Herrera, winning the game and splitting the series for the Rockies.
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