Rockies offense, bullpen can’t match Hughes’ strong start in 8-0 throttling

Rockies Report, Game 104:

ROCKIES BOTTOM LINE: Gabriel Hughes was good. Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli was better.

Cavalii flummoxed the Rockies, shutting them out for his six innings of work while allowing just four hits and a pair of walks. He left with Washington up 1-0, and then the Nats pulverized relievers Jimmy Herget and Zach Agnos, piling up six seventh-inning runs at their expense to break the game wide open en route to dealing Colorado an 8-0 throttling in front of 23,196 at Coors Field on Wednesday.

lu WHEEEEEE pic.twitter.com/9il5Ba5w3E

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 22, 2026

While the Rockies offense could get nothing started, the Nationals finally cranked it up in the seventh at the expense of Herget and Agnos. Herget issued a leadoff walk to Daylen Lile, a one-out walk to Jorbit Vivas and then gave up an RBI single to Nasim Nuñez and then a two-run homer to Luis García Jr. before giving way to Agnos, who allowed three-straight singles.

A pair of errors helped compound the seventh-inning damage. A Nuñez RBI single in the eighth completed the Nats’ day and provided the final margin.

Colorado fell to 41-63, concluding a 2-4 homestand.

ROCKIES STARTER’S REPORT

Hughes’ 0-2 ledger proves again that the W-L stat matters little. He was once again effective, scattering five hits and a walk over his five innings of work.

He worked out of a two-on, none-out jam in the second inning and escaped unscathed; only James Wood’s sacrifice fly to bring home Vivas — who had reached base with a leadoff triple — in the fifth inning marred Hughes’ day. Colorado’s fruitless day at the plate ensured that run would be enough.

BITS AND PIECES

IT WAS DECIDED FOR THE ROCKIES WHEN: Washington sent 10 men to the plate in the seventh inning, with six coming home.

NUMBER TO NOTE: 2.79 — Hughes’ major-league ERA this season.

WHAT’S NEXT: A stern challenge against the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers, who have won five of six since returning from the All-Star Break. Tomoyuki Sugano gets the nod for the Rockies; Milwaukee will counter with left-handed Shane Drohan. It’ll be an unusual Friday-afternoon first pitch of 2:10 p.m. MDT, as the Brewers are holding an alumni game at American Family Field immediately afterward.

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