Gonzalez goes for Nats against Rockies

Gio Gonzalez makes his final start before Tuesday's All- Star Game this afternoon when the Washington Nationals continue their three- game series with the Colorado Rockies at Nationals Park.

Gonzalez won his third straight start on Sunday in Atlanta, but didn't have his best stuff, as he surrendered four runs and five hits and walked four batters in five innings.

He wasn't sharp two starts ago against the Rockies either, but again emerged with a win, despite giving five runs (4 earned) and eight hits in six innings.

Nonetheless, Gonzalez is 11-3 on the year to go along with a 3.01 ERA. With another win today he would move into a tie with New York's R.A. Dickey for most wins among National League pitchers (12) heading into the break.

Hopefully Gonzalez pitches better than Stephen Strasburg did in Friday's opener. Strasburg lost his third consecutive start and allowed two Tyler Colvin home runs in Colorado's 5-1 win. Colvin ended up with three hits and three RBI and Dexter Fowler also homered for the Rockies, who won for just the second time in their last seven.

"It's not a good feeling, but what can you do?" Strasburg said.

Drew Pomeranz (1-3) allowed one hit and a pair of walks while fanning six over 6 1/3 scoreless innings to get the win.

"It's your mindset to limit runs anyway, but you know that it's going to be tough to score some runs off of him because he's a good pitcher," Pomeranz said about going up against Strasburg.

Ryan Zimmerman's homer in the ninth was one of only five hits for the Nationals, whose four-game win streak came to a halt.

Heading to the hill for the Rockies today will be lefty Jeff Francis, who is 2-1 with a 5.16 ERA. Francis won his second consecutive start on Monday in St. Louis, as he held the Cardinals to two runs and five hits in five innings.

He's faced the Nats six times and is 1-1 with a 4.72 ERA.

Colorado split a four-game set with the Nats earlier in the year.