Nationals vs Rockies – Game Summary – September 29, 2018

DENVER – Charlie Blackmon's bushy beard was covered with bubbles, while Carlos Gonzalez merrily absorbed all the spray from all directions. Nolan Arenado posed for photo after photo while his teammates got selfies with him.

Think that this party scene was wild, wait. The Colorado Rockies hope to trade these hats marked "Post-season" against those with the words "Champions of the West of the NL".

Now, it would be really a party.

The Rockies, leaders of Western Newfoundland and Labrador, qualified for the playoffs for the second consecutive season, beating the Washington Nationals 5-2 on Friday night for an eighth consecutive victory behind a departure solid Kyle Freeland.

David Dahl won the game for the fifth consecutive game and Ian Desmond scored a two-point homer against his former team to help Colorado win at least one wild card with two games to play. The Rockies came in the evening with a lead of a match on the Los Angeles Dodgers while they were attempting to win the franchise title of first division.

"It's a playoff atmosphere," said Arenado. "The good thing about us is that we've already had a playoff atmosphere – we know how to handle that."

Wade Davis has canceled Bryce Harper in the hope of ending the match and deserve his 43rd save. The sold-out crowd at Coors Field roared and fireworks went off.

Many things to celebrate: The Rockies are heading to the post-season two years in a row for the first time in their history. It's their fifth playoff run since the franchise's start in 1993. Last year they lost to Arizona in the NL's wild card game.

"It's just amazing," said Freeland, who grew up in Denver and was a big fan of the Rockies. "I had dreamed of that when I was little and I never thought I could do it, but the work is not over."

Freeland (17-7) left the jam on a cool night to finish the season with a 2.40 ERA in batting-friendly baseball matches. The southpaw gave two points and 11 hits in six innings before giving it to a fervent corrector.

The Rockies' winning streak is the longest since their eighth consecutive victory in April 2013. In the current series, the Rockies have outscored their opponents by 57-12 points.

With posters around the stadium displaying this as "The Rocktober Hunt", the team has improved to 18-8 in September. They are looking for the end of the Dodgers' five-year reign as division champions.

Freeland was often found in trouble but managed to get out of it. His only big mistake was a fast ball in the fourth inning that Trea Turner scored for a triple in two sets to give the Nationals a 2-1 lead.

Desmond placed the Rockies 3-2 in the fifth with his 22nd circuit of the season. Two launches later, Chris Iannetta went deep. It was the fifth time the Rockies had come face to face this season.

With his solo shot in the sixth, Dahl became the fourth Rockies player to return home in five straight games. He joins Dante Bichette (1995), Larry Walker (1999) and Arenado (2015).

Freeland finished with a total of 2.85 ERA this season. He joins Marvin Freeman (2.80, 1994) and Ubaldo Jimenez (2.88, 2010) as the only Rockies pitchers to qualify for the league's ER title with a score below 3.00.

Joe Ross (0-2) has allocated four points in five innings on his third start since his Tommy John operation last year.

"I was feeling good, and the last two runs have flattened me," Ross said. "It's frustrating, the team had their heads and I was giving it back immediately."

The party in the Rockies clubhouse was wild, but not too wild for a reason.

"It's only the first step," Gonzalez said. "We understand that we have a great chance in front of us."

TRAINER ROOM

National: INF Ryan Zimmerman was not initially with a back injury and the team is planning a cautious approach. "I do not want him to start the off-season worried about his rehab," said manager Dave Martinez.

Rockies: LHP, Tyler Anderson's painful shoulder is a "slightly better", said Bud Black's manager. "He seems to be in the right direction."

PAIR OF ACES

Washington will launch right-hander Stephen Strasburg on Saturday (9-7, 3.77). But if NL Young's candidate, Max Scherzer (18-7, 2.53), begins Sunday depends largely on what's left up for the Rockies.

"We are going to savor this moment," said Arenado, who could face two aces. "You have to face the best pitchers of the game to get where you want to be."

FOLLOWING

The Rockies will send RHP Jon Gray (12-8, 4.91) to the mound on Saturday against Strasburg, who hopes to reach the 10-win mark for a fifth consecutive season.