WASHINGTON — He tried not to let it bother him. For a month, fans were fretting about his lack of offense. His inability to even make contact.
Carlos Gonzalez never lost confidence even as he lost his left-field job the first game after the all-star break.
“I knew I could do great things. I have always done them since I was 5 and started playing baseball,” Gonzalez said. “It was up to me to prove it at this level.”
Gonzalez has few peers as an athlete. Now as a baseball player, he’s become electric. He provided his latest jolt Wednesday, homering again to secure an ugly 5-4 victory over the host Nationals.
“I learned from Felipe Alou not to give up too soon on a young hitter,” manager Jim Tracy said. “You are starting to see why.”
Gonzalez has gone from making noise to making history. He tied the club record with his fourth straight road game with a home run. He has gone deep in six of the last eight games. His latest big blast came in the eighth inning off reliever Jorge Sosa.
Second baseman Clint Barmes has been in the sidecar during this magical ride. He homered in his third consecutive game, giving him 20 overall, three shy of the team lead.
Their two exclamation points, which provided the final two runs, were necessary on a night littered with question marks. How in the world, for instance, was this game even close?
Eleven Rockies reached base in the first three innings, yet only three scored. The Nationals Collin Balester — or more fittingly Ballster — walked five guys. The bullpen was getting loose after his 20th pitch, but the Rockies let him squirm away with minimal damage.
There were impatient at-bats, and multiple mental mistakes on the bases. But two swings and one pitch effectively photo shopped out the blemishes. Along with the Barmes and Gonzalez home runs, Franklin Morales struck out Adam Dunn with a 96-mph fastball looking with runners at first and third.
Jason Marquis earned the win, his 14th.
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com.
