Washington @ Colorado preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 15, 2018 ) Colorado 6, Washington 5

The red-hot Colorado Rockies embark on what could be a historic weekend at Coors Field in Denver when they begin a three-game series with the Washington Nationals on Friday. Colorado (89-70), which has won seven straight after Thursday's 5-3 victory over Philadelphia, has never won the National League West but controls its own fate with a one-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Rockies could also clinch a playoff berth with a victory Friday coupled with a St. Louis loss to the Cubs in Chicago. Colorado outscored the Phillies 39-7 in this week's four-game sweep with David Dahl homering in each game and totaling 11 RBIs in the series while Trevor Story (team-best 35 home runs), who shares the team lead in RBIs with Nolan Arenado (105), went deep in each of the last two contests. The Rockies' Kyle Freeland, a Denver native, is 9-2 with an eye-popping 2.36 ERA in 14 starts at Coors Field this season and opposes Joe Ross, who makes his third and final appearance in a season that began late because of Tommy John surgery. “The consistency in performance has been as good as anybody in the game, especially when you consider around half his starts have come at altitude,” Rockies manager Bud Black told the Denver Post about Freeland, who hasn't lost since Aug. 1. “He’s living on the black.”

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, MASN 2 (Washington), AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Colorado)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Joe Ross (0-1, 4.09 ERA) vs. Rockies LH Kyle Freeland (16-7, 2.84)

Ross allowed four runs (three earned), eight hits and one walk while striking out three over six innings of a 4-2 loss to the New York Mets on Sept. 21. The 25-year-old Californian made his first start since July 9, 2017 when he received a no-decision after yielding two runs and four hits over five innings of Washington's 4-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 13. Ross has made one start against Colorado on April 25, 2017 at Coors Field, receiving a no-decision after permitting five runs across 4 2/3 innings of the Nationals' 15-12 victory.

Freeland allowed seven hits and a walk while striking out six over seven innings of a 2-0 victory at Arizona on Sunday, improving to 7-0 with a 2.10 ERA in his last 10 starts - all of the quality variety. The 25-year-old and eighth overall pick of the 2014 draft is 15-3 after going 1-4 with a 4.24 ERA in six April outings. Ryan Zimmerman is 3-for-5 with a three-run homer versus Freeland, who is 1-0 with a 3.72 ERA in two starts versus Washington after allowing one run over 4 2/3 innings and earning a no-decision in April.

WALK-OFFS

1. Rockies RHP Wade Davis set a club record with his NL-leading 42nd save Thursday and hasn't blown one since Aug. 3.

2. Nationals RF Bryce Harper (.244, 34 home runs, 100 RBIs this season), who may have played his last home game in a Washington uniform Wednesday, is batting .377 with three home runs and 11 RBIs in 61 at-bats with 14 walks and 18 runs scored at Coors Field.

3. Jorge De La Rosa, a LHP now with the Cubs, holds the Rockies record for lowest ERA in a season at Coors Field - 2.76 in 2013.

PREDICTION: Rockies 11, Nationals 2