Staked to a three-run lead Friday night before he took the mound for the first time, Esteban Loaiza should have felt comfortable.
Not at Coors Field. He’s pitched there too many times to know you can’t let up.
Loaiza stayed focused, pitching into the seventh inning for his first win in a month, and Jose Guillen hit a two-run single in the first inning to help the Washington Nationals defeat the Rockies 4-2.
“We are in Colorado and the ball flies,” Loaiza said. “I had two runners on a couple of times, and you know that with one swing they could tie up the ballgame. I just try to do everything possible to keep the ball low and do my job and get it in play and get groundballs.”
He did, and it’s a good thing for the Nationals.
Washington had just seven hits, with only four coming after the first inning. What got the Nationals through was solid pitching.
Loaiza (7-8) did his part, pitching well early and escaping from a couple of jams late. Luis Ayala bailed Loaiza out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning, and Chad Cordero worked a perfect ninth for his major league-leading 38th save in 42 chances.
The victory was the Nationals’ fourth win in 16 road games, keeping them three games behind the Houston Astros in the NL wild-card race.
“It was a great win, but we’ve got to come out tomorrow and win,” Nationals manager Frank Robinson said.
Loaiza entered the game with a 7.77 ERA in four career starts at Coors Field, but was sharp early. He gave up an RBI single to Jamey Wright in the second inning before retiring 11 of the next 12 batters, then got Jorge Piedra to pop out and Garrett Atkins on a soft grounder with runners at first and third in the sixth inning.
Loaiza allowed a run and five hits in 6 1/3 innings to win for the first time since July 16 against the Milwaukee Brewers.
“He had great command of his fastball,” Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. “He could have hit a gnat on its rear end with his fastball.”
Colorado still had its chances.
The Rockies loaded the bases with one out in the seventh to chase Loaiza, but Ayala got Luis Gonzalez and Todd Helton to pop out to third to end the inning.
“The bullpen is outstanding,” Loaiza said.
