Washington @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 16, 2016 ) Washington 2, Colorado 6

Stephen Strasburg has hit a rut following his blistering 15-1 start to the season and will try to halt a two-start losing streak when the visiting Washington Nationals wrap up a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday afternoon. The Rockies snapped a four-game slide with a 6-2 win on Tuesday and sit 6 1/2 games behind St. Louis for the second wild-card spot in the National League.

The Nationals could use a lengthy outing from Strasburg after Max Scherzer lasted only four innings in the series opener and a two-hour rain delay cut Gio Gonzalez's start to three frames the following night. Jayson Werth tied a team record by reaching base in his 44th consecutive game for Washington, which scored 21 runs in winning its previous three contests. Despite winning for just the third time in 13 games, the Rockies are receiving great production at the top of the order with Charlie Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu riding hitting streaks of 10 and eight games, respectively. LeMahieu is 7-for-7 in the series and has reached base in his last nine plate appearances - three shy of the franchise mark held by first base coach Eric Young.

TV: 3:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, MASN (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (15-3, 3.07 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Jon Gray (8-6, 4.55)

Strasburg has failed to make it through six innings only three times in his 22 starts - and two have come in his last two trips to the mound. The former No. 1 overall pick was pummeled by Atlanta for six runs and seven hits, including a pair of homers, over 5 1/3 frames after giving up four runs in a season-low 4 2/3 innings in his previous turn. Blackmon is 4-for-9 against Strasburg, who is 4-3 with a 2.35 ERA versus Colorado.

Gray was spectacular in his first four starts coming out of the All-Star break, but he has been rocked in his last two outings. A first-round draft pick of Colorado in 2013, Gray was hammered for seven runs over 4 1/3 innings at Philadelphia last time out after lasting only 3 2/3 frames and giving up eight runs to Miami in his previous turn. In his first four starts after the break, Gray was 3-0 with two runs allowed in 26 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Rockies LF David Dahl recorded a two-run, pinch-hit double Tuesday and has hit safely in 21 of 22 games since his promotion from the minors.

2. Werth is two games shy of matching Rusty Staub's franchise-record streak of 46 straight games of reaching base, set with Montreal in 1969-70.

3. Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood (back), who is tied for the team lead with 10 wins, was placed on the 15-day disabled list.

PREDICTION: Rockies 4, Nationals 3