WASHINGTON, D.C. - JUNE 18 - The Washington Nationals were defeated yet again on Tuesday night by the Colorado Rockies, marking the first 10-game losing streak for D.C. since 2008. The Rockies hit off of Michael Soroka and the bullpen extremely well, creating a deficit just too large for the struggling Nats to overcome.

Soroka took the mound for Washington, and since he is a veteran presence on this pitching staff, fans were hopeful that he could be the guy to put an end to this disastrous run. A quick first inning for the right-hander gave Nationals Park a little bit of light, especially as Soroka entered the next frame with a lead. However, the second batter of the inning, Thairo Estrada, took matters into his own hands and hit a solo home run to knot the game at one. In the fourth, Brenton Doyle hit into a fielder’s choice, and Michael Toglia then sent a ball of his own into the seats to give Colorado a 3-1 lead. That would be all of the damage Soroka surrendered, as he departed with a quality start similar to Jake Irvin’s on Monday. He pitched 6.0 innings, allowing the three runs on five hits, with two walks, and nine strikeouts.

Cole Henry relieved Soroka, looking to keep the game in striking distance. Instead, he walked Mickey Moniak and hit Tyler Freeman, before Hunter Goodman crushed a homer to make it a 6-1 game. Ryan McMahon followed that up with a solo shot of his own, prompting a move for Jackson Rutledge. He also allowed back-to-back homers, these to Toglia and Sam Hilliard. Eduardo Salazar entered and gave up a leadoff shot to Moniak, making the score a daunting 10-1. Luckily, Zach Brzykcy pitched a scoreless ninth, sparing the Nats from any further woes.

Offensively, the Nats were quiet until the eighth and ninth, when the game was out of reach. Luis Garcia Jr. scored in the first due to a fielding error and a wild pitch, but that was all they had going until the ninth. There were bright spots overall, however. Brady House got two hits, as did struggling veterans Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Bell. In the eighth, Lowe hit a solo homer, which while it didn’t make a difference tonight, it can hopefully serve as momentum to get his bat going in the very near-future. In the ninth, Jacob Young doubled, and CJ Abrams scored him to cut the deficit to seven. Garcia Jr. homered and Lowe doubled before House drove him in, making the score 10-6 and forcing a pitching change. While the game ended there, it was interesting to see the boys battle late with the game that out of reach.

The Nationals will look to bounce back tomorrow and Thursday and split the series with Colorado. If they do not, they will have a hard time doing so before the All-Star Break, as they go out west to face the Dodgers, Padres, and Angels before coming home to see the Tigers and Red Sox.