Daylen Lile homers as Nationals top Rockies 7-1 to split 4-game series

WASHINGTON (AP) — Daylen Lile homered and drove in two runs as part of a three-hit day, and the Washington Nationals beat the Colorado Rockies 7-1 to split their four-game series Thursday.

Keibert Ruiz also went deep for Washington, which had dropped 12 of 15. The Nationals won a game started by a pitcher other than Cade Cavalli for the first time since Aug. 9.

Colorado fell to an NL-worst 52-82, clinching its eighth consecutive losing season. The Rockies were 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position and left 13 on base overall.

Lile led off the fifth inning with a drive to right off Gabriel Hughes (0-6) for his 18th home run this season . The left fielder was 8 for 15 with three homers and eight RBIs in the series.

Tom Cosgrove (1-2) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings in relief for his first win since his major league debut on April 29, 2023, a span of 89 appearances.

The Nationals scored twice in the first on Lile's bloop RBI single and Brady House 's sacrifice fly.

Colorado loaded the bases on a hit batsman and two walks in the third against Jake Irvin before Brett Sullivan 's infield single pushed across a run.

Washington made it 3-1 when Dylan Crews ' bases-loaded grounder in the fourth barely left the dirt area around the plate but still gave Jacob Young time to score from third.

Ruiz capped a three-run eighth with a two-run shot into the Nationals' bullpen in right off Jimmy Herget .

Hughes gave up four runs in five innings. He struck out three and yielded seven hits and four walks.

Irvin allowed a run on three hits and a career-high six walks in 4 1/3 innings while striking out six.

RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (12-7, 4.96 ERA) starts Friday as Colorado's road trip continues in Atlanta .

Rookie LHP Jackson Kent (0-2, 8.03) makes his fourth start Friday as Washington's homestand continues with the opener of a four-game series against Miami .