The Washington Nationals will try to cool off Colorado's Connor Norby and earn a split of their four-game series with the Rockies on Thursday.

Norby belted his first career grand slam and added an RBI single in the Rockies' 13-1 win on Wednesday. Colorado has won two straight games after losing seven in a row.

The Rockies second baseman has tied his career high with an 11-game hitting streak and has reached base in all 14 games since coming over in a trade with the Miami Marlins on Aug. 3.

"He takes solid at-bats every time out," Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said. "He doesn't swing at balls. He gets the pitcher in the (strike) zone and then usually good things happen with that. He's taken walks at a good clip. Then the big homer tonight. Walks and homers is a good combination."

Colorado goes for the series win behind rookie Gabriel Hughes (0-5, 6.54 ERA), who will be opposed by fellow right-hander Jake Irvin (2-8, 5.82).

Hughes will be making his ninth start. One of those starts came against the Nationals on July 22, when he allowed one run on five hits in five innings of an 8-0 loss.

Hughes has struggled in the month of August, posting a 0-2 record and a 10.80 ERA in four starts. Last time out, he improved a bit, giving up three runs on four hits over five innings in a loss to the Cleveland Guardians. Two of the runs came on a walk followed by a homer in the fourth.

"I thought he battled," Schaeffer said. "He came out of the chute very efficient. He had 31 pitches over three innings. And then he came out in fourth and fell behind (hitters). Kind of the opposite of what he was doing in the first three innings."

Irvin, 29, is 0-3 with a 7.63 ERA in his last three starts. He has given up seven homers in 25 2/3 innings over his past five starts. Last Saturday, he gave up four runs on six hits (two of them homers) over six innings in a 4-2 loss to the Miami Marlins.

Irvin is 1-0 with a 3.70 ERA in four career starts versus Colorado.

Norby had a lot of help on offense Wednesday night as the Rockies got two-run homers from Troy Johnston, Cole Carrigg and Hunter Goodman, who has homered in two straight games. TJ Rumfield had two hits and two walks.

Meanwhile, Tanner Gordon allowed one run over seven innings.

The Nationals, still playing without All-Star James Wood, have lost six of seven and 10 of 12, but Wednesday's loss was a rare rout.

"At the end of the day, we've got to come out expecting and playing our butts off every night," manager Blake Butera said. "I felt like we were a little short tonight."

Andres Chaparro homered and finished a triple short of the cycle.

Pitching prospect Luis Perales made his major league debut. With the bases loaded in the seventh, he struck out Mickey Moniak, but Norby's grand slam made it 8-1 and ended his night. The 23-year-old reliever gave up four runs on four hits in two innings.

"Look, it's his first outing," Butera said. "He was one at-bat away there from getting out of that with a really, really solid outing in his major league debut."