Washington Nationals’ Andrés Chaparro gestures to the bullpen as he circles the bases after hitting a three-run home run off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland in the first inning of a baseball game Monday, July 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) 
Washington Nationals’ Jacob Young gestures to the bullpen as he circles the bases after hitting a solo home run off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland in the sixth inning of a baseball game Monday, July 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) 
Washington Nationals’ CJ Abrams follows through with his swing after connecting for a two-run home run off Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Antonio Senzatela in the seventh inning of a baseball game Monday, July 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) 
Washington Nationals’ CJ Abrams gestures to the bullpen as he circles the bases after hitting a two-run home run off Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Antonio Senzatela in the seventh inning of a baseball game Monday, July 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) 
Washington Nationals first baseman Luis GarcÌa Jr., front, celebrates with third baseman Curtis Mead, center, as second baseman Nasim Nuñez, back, looks on after their team defeated the Colorado Rockies in a baseball game Monday, July 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) 
Colorado Rockies second baseman Willi Castro, top, tags out Washington Nationals’ Jacob Young, bottom, who was trying to steal second in the eighth inning of a baseball game Monday, July 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) 
Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Juan Mejia works against the Washington Nationals in the eighth inning of a baseball game Monday, July 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
DENVER | Andrés Chaparro, Jacob Young and CJ Abrams homered to lead the Washington Nationals past the Colorado Rockies 7-3 on Monday night.
Chaparro hit a three-run shot to left-center in the first inning after leadoff batter James Wood walked and Curtis Mead singled. It was his fourth homer of the year.
Willi Castro tied it 3-all with a three-run double in the third, but Young put the Nationals back ahead with a solo drive in the sixth.
Abrams connected for a two-run homer that made it 6-3 in the seventh. Daylen Lile hit an RBI triple in the ninth, scoring Wood.
Young and Mead both finished with three hits.
Washington reliever Riley Cornelio (1-1) threw 1 2/3 hitless innings in relief of starter Andrew Alvarez for his first major league win. Cornelio got All-Star slugger Hunter Goodman to ground into an inning-ending double play in the fifth.
Tom Cosgrove needed only 10 pitches to toss two perfect innings for his second career save. The other one came in 2023 with San Diego.
Rockies starter Kyle Freeland (2-9) gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings. He struck out four and walked two.
Up next
Nationals RHP Miles Mikolas (3-7, 5.53 ERA) starts Tuesday against Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (3-9, 6.22).
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb