Rockies Pitcher Nicasio Hit in Head by Line Drive

DENVER (AP) — Michael Morse homered and Ian Desmond had four hits, including a liner that hit Rockies starter Juan Nicasio in the head, and the Washington Nationals beat the Colorado Rockies 5-3 Friday night.

Nicasio was struck in the second inning. The ball slammed into the right side of Nicasio's head with a smack and caromed away, rolling over the first-base line.

The right-hander went down and lay flat on his back on the mound for several minutes as he was attended to by training staff. He was moved onto a cart by four medical personnel, helped by teammate Todd Helton and manager Jim Tracy.

He could be seen blinking and moving his hands and legs before he was put on a stability board and loaded onto a cart.

Nicasio (4-4) was taken to the hospital where the team said he was resting comfortably and undergoing tests.

Edgmer Escalona relieved and gave up two runs in 4 1-3 innings.

Rick Ankiel had three hits and Ryan Zimmerman and Danny Espinosa had two hits each for Washington. Drew Storen got the last four outs for his 28th save.

Chris Iannetta had three hits and Troy Tulowitzki had two for Colorado, which has lost five of six.

Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann (7-9) allowed just two hits through the first five innings as Washington built a 4-0 lead. Ankiel and Espinosa each singled to lead off the game off Nicasio (4-4) and Zimmerman tripled to make it 2-0.

They added another run in the fourth when Zimmermann reached on a two-out bloop double and scored on Ankiel's single to right.

Morse hit his 19th homer with one out in the fifth to make it 4-0.

The Rockies finally got to Zimmermann in the sixth. Helton doubled with one out and Tulowitzki singled to put runners at the corners. Zimmermann struck out Seth Smith before being relieved by Henry Rodriguez.

Chris Nelson greeted Rodriguez with a single to center to make it 4-1. Ian Stewart's bloop single to center scored Tulowitzki and Iannetta followed with a single to score Nelson to make it 4-3. Pinch-hitter Ty Wigginton walked to load the bases.

Tyler Clippard relieved Rodriguez and worked the count to 3-0 before Young looked at three straight strikes to end the inning.

Morse's RBI single in the ninth made it 5-3.

Notes: Rockies OF Carlos Gonzalez (right wrist strain) was scheduled to play right field for Triple A Colorado Springs as part of a rehab assignment. Gonzalez went 2-for-5 for the Sky Sox in their doubleheader Thursday. ... Colorado's Jhoulys Chacin will be matched against Washington's Livan Hernandez in Saturday's game. Chacin has a career ERA of 3.39, the lowest in franchise history for a pitcher with at least 40 starts. His .214 opponents' batting average is a franchise best, too. Hernandez was 3-3 with a 8.03 ERA in eight starts for the Rockies in 2008.