Rockies nip Nationals, 3-2

Yohan Flande outdueled Max Scherzer, and the Colorado Rockies averted a three-game sweep by defeating the Washington Nationals, 3-2, on Thursday in Denver.

Flande (3-1, 1.94 ERA) gave up two runs on three hits in seven innings, striking out five and walking three, and also had two hits, an RBI and a run scored.

Scherzer (11-10, 2.79 ERA) went six-plus, giving up three runs on eight hits, striking out seven and walking three. Scherzer is winless in his last four starts, with an 0-2 record and 6.86 ERA in that span.

Michael A. Taylor had a two-run homer in the seventh, his 11^th of the season, and it traveled an estimated 493 feet, unofficially the longest home run of the 2015 season in MLB.

Washington (60-60) is four games behind the New York Mets in the National League East.