Starting pitchers on spot after Nats-Rockies slugfest

DENVER -- The Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies will continue their four-game series Wednesday with each club hoping its starting pitcher can go reasonably deep after what unfolded Tuesday at Coors Field.

In the Nationals' 15-12 win, neither Colorado's German Marquez nor Washington's Joe Ross lasted five innings.

Tyler Chatwood will start for the Rockies on Wednesday against Washington's Tanner Roark.

Chatwood (2-2, 4.10 ERA) won his past two starts, both against the San Francisco Giants. He is 0-0 with a 1.50 ERA against the Nationals, having made one career start against them in 2013 at Washington when he pitched six innings and allowed one run on four hits.

Roark (2-0, 3.65 ERA) last started Friday at New York, where he held the Mets to three runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. He wasn't involved in the decision as the Nationals won 4-3. He has thrown one scoreless inning against the Rockies in his career, during a relief appearance at Coors Field in 2015.

Each starting pitcher figures to be dealing with a hot opposing hitter Wednesday.

Rockies catcher Tony Wolters and Nationals shortstop Trea Turner have found hitting grooves, a historic one in the case of Turner, who hit for the cycle for the first time Tuesday with and knocked in a career-high seven runs.

Wolters' priority is defense, and he has done a good job working with the Rockies pitchers. He typically bats eighth, but he is continuing an offensive surge that began after the All-Star break last season, when he hit .321 (27-for-94) in 29 games with six doubles, one triple, two homers and 12 RBIs.

In Colorado's loss Tuesday, Wolters went 2-for-4 with an opposite-field single to left, a double to right-center and an RBI, raising his average to .366 (15-for-41). With Tom Murphy on the disabled list, Wolters, who was Nick Hundley's backup last year, has become the starting catcher.

"His intent is to use the whole field," Rockies manager Bud Black said. "He's done a really good job of controlling the strike zone, taking balls and swinging at strikes.

"We feel as though what Tony brings with the bat is potentially production. It might not be a lot of power, but I think there can be a ball in the gap, there can be a ball down either line. There's a tough two-strike approach in there that we like."

Before Turner's memorable game Tuesday, he had never driven in more than three runs in a game. As a rookie last year, Turner hit .342/.370/.567 with 13 homers, 40 RBIs and 33 stolen bases in 73 games. He made 44 starts in center field and two at second base. He is playing shortstop this season.

Turner went on the 10-day disabled list April 9 with a right hamstring strain and was reinstated April 21. He went 4-for-13 in three starts after coming off the DL before going 4-for-6 with four runs in his huge game Tuesday.

"It's elite talent and he's a grinder," Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy said of his double-play partner. "Doesn't give away pitches (on) offense or defense. So you take someone who's immensely talented like he is and then they're engaged on every single pitch, I think special things happen, which is what we saw this evening."