WASHINGTON -- For nearly most of his three seasons in a Rockies uniform, right-hander Tanner Gordon has been the guy who has been there when Colorado has needed him.
Was Wednesday night the start of Gordon becoming a guy who is there all the time?
In a career-best seven innings, Gordon struck out five and held the Nationals to one run while pitching the Rockies to their seventh victory in their last 12 road games, a 13-1 win over the Nats.
During a messy 2025 season, Gordon bounced between the Majors and Triple-A Albuquerque but ended up leading the team in wins with six -- of its 43 total victories.
He also tied the Cardinals’ Michael McGreevy for the lead among National League rookies in quality starts with seven.
This year, though, Gordon was sent to Triple-A for depth, and when called up was used as a long reliever and fill-in starter with mixed enough results that he entered Wednesday with a 5.75 ERA.
But on Wednesday, his second start as a chosen rotation member after the Rockies released veteran Michael Lorenzen, Gordon hinted at more. He yielded extra-base hits in each of the first three innings, but the only run surrendered was Andrés Chaparro’s leadoff homer in the second.
Gordon then sailed, retiring 10 of the final 12 hitters he faced.
Gordon’s arm was more than enough for an offense that benefited from two-run homers from Troy Johnston and Cole Carrigg in the fifth, the first career grand slam from Connor Norby in the seventh and Hunter Goodman’s 36th homer of the season (his second in two games since his return from a left shoulder injury) in the eighth.
The night was another road bonanza for the Rockies, who have 25 road wins this season -- their most since going 27-54 away from Coors Field in 2022.