DENVER -- Colorado's Yohan Flande is a journeyman left-hander. Washington's Max Scherzer is a bona fide ace.

In their matchup Thursday night, Scherzer was good but Flande was better as the Rockies beat the Nationals 3-2.

Flande pitched a career-high seven innings and went 2-for-3 with an RBI. First baseman Ben Paulsen singled home the winning run with one out in the seventh as the Rockies won for just the second time in 12 games and avoided being swept in the three-game series.

The loss dropped the Nationals four games behind the idle New York Mets in the National League East.

Flande (3-1) pitched a season-high six innings in his previous start, and he surpassed his high of 6 2/3 innings set last year as he limited the Nationals to three hits. Washington touched him for two runs, both on center fielder Michael Taylor's mammoth homer in the seventh that tied the game at 2.

Flande, who made his major league debut in June 2014 as a 28-year-old rookie, needed just 89 pitches to get through the seventh. He issued three walks, struck out five and got 11 outs on ground balls.

"He's not scared," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "That's one of the biggest things. He attacks the strike zone and the ball moves. He's got good movement on his two-seamer, and he's got a good changeup. He's really done a nice job, and he's really taken a big step as a starter this year."

Flande, who entered the game 2-for-24, had a career-high two hits, both singles. He hit an opposite-field flare in the fifth and a chopper past Scherzer in the sixth. Flande scored the first run of his career and had his first RBI.

Center fielder Charlie Blackmon followed Flande's one-out single in the fifth with a single, and shortstop Jose Reyes' double scored Flande to make it 1-0.

Flande's two-out single in the sixth scored left fielder Matt McBride, who singled to start the inning and moved up on a groundout and a flyout.

Reyes led off the seventh with a single. It was his third hit of the game, and it finished Scherzer after 103 pitches. Reliever Felipe Rivero gave up a single to right fielder Carlos Gonzalez, the only batter he faced. Blake Treinen struck out third baseman Nolan Arenado before Paulsen, who came to the plate 0-for-10 in the series, looped a go-ahead single to center.

"I didn't have such a great series until that last at-bat, and that last at-bat was the most important one," Paulsen said. "That's my mental approach going into every at-bat -- the next one is going to be the best one."

John Axford, who was returned to the closer's role Monday, gave up a leadoff single to Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper in the ninth. After third baseman Yunel Escobar and shortstop Ian Desmond struck out, first baseman Ryan Zimmerman walked. However, Axford struck out Taylor to earn his 17th save and first since July 10.

Flande was cruising along until he issued a two-out walk in the seventh. Taylor followed with a first-pitch homer to left-center. Taylor's 11th homer of the season was measured at 493 feet according to MLB.com's Statcast, making it the longest home run in the majors this season.

"Nothing," was Taylor's succinct reply when asked what he thought about hitting the big leagues' longest blast of the year.

Scherzer (11-10) gave up three runs on eight hits and three walks in six-plus innings. In his previous outing, he gave up a season-high six earned runs in a season-low three innings against the San Francisco Giants.

"It's just frustrating," Scherzer said of his Thursday performance, "because I felt like it was good, but it wasn't good enough. I made the adjustment. My arm slot was higher, felt like I was on top of the ball, felt like my changeup was back, but they were able to find a couple holes, and sometimes that led to bigger innings. Just couldn't control those innings."

Scherzer finished with seven strikeouts, giving him 201 for the season in 171 innings. It is his fourth consecutive season with 200 or more strikeouts.

"Piling up strikeouts, that's part of my game," Scherzer said. "I plan for it and try to do it. To do it at this part of the season shows a lot of success in a lot of different areas. I just got to get back on track and keep going forward and keep pitching well no matter what. It's not always about the strikeouts; it's about how well you pitch."

NOTES: C Dustin Garneau became the fourth player to make his major league debut with the Rockies this season. The others are RHPs Jon Gray and Scott Oberg and LHP Ken Roberts. Garneau doubled in his first at-bat and finished 1-for-4. ... Colorado released OF Drew Stubbs. The Rockies designated him for assignment Aug. 12, but since Stubbs is making $5,825,000 this season, he was not claimed off waivers by any team. In 49 games with the Rockies, Stubbs hit .216 with two homers, five RBIs and 50 strikeouts. ... Nationals CF Denard Span (back tightness) and 2B Dan Uggla (back spasms) will continue their rehab assignments Friday at Double-A Harrisburg. They were supposed to play Thursday with low Class A Hagerstown, but the game was rained out. ... Nationals RHP David Carpenter (right shoulder inflammation) will resume his rehab assignment by throwing 20-25 pitches Friday for high Class A Potomac, where he threw one inning Wednesday in his first rehab outing.