A bright rainbow appeared over Coors Field Saturday night and Kyle Freeland finally got some run support. A sign from the baseball gods or a mere coincidence?
Either way, Freeland got his long-awaited W in the Rockies’ 11-5 victory over the fading White Sox.
Freeland (5-13, 5.02 ERA) wasn’t super sharp, giving up four runs on eight hits over five innings and needing 95 pitches to get there. But, as manager Bud Black put it, “Kyle battled.”
Freeland walked only one while striking out six. He was able to limit damage, especially in the fifth, when the White Sox sent seven men to the plate but cashed in only two runs on four hits.
The left-hander entered the rainy night with a career-worst 13 losses (also the most in the majors this season) and had not won a game since May 14. He was averaging just 3.12 runs of support this season, the lowest among all qualified starters.
“It’s been a while — it’s been three months — since I had a win,” said Freeland, who notched the 54th win of his career, breaking a tie with Pedro Astacio and Jon Gray for the seventh-most in franchise history.
“The offense came out swinging and put up runs early and often,” Freeland continued. “We did it last night as well, so it was nice to see them doing that for me. Our offense did a great job and I did everything I could do get the win.”
For the second straight night, Colorado bludgeoned White Sox pitching. After cranking out 14 runs on 13 hits in a 14-1 victory on Friday night, the Rockies pounded out 13 hits Saturday, highlighted by veteran Charlie Blackmon’s two-run homer in the seventh. For Blackmon, who missed 53 games with a broken hand, it was the first home run since May 28.
And first baseman Elehuris Montero had a huge night, finishing a home run short of the cycle and driving in four runs. Over his last five games, Montero is hitting 8-for-17 with four extra-base hits and six RBIs, that after batting .180 (9-for-50) over his previous 14 games.
“He hit some breaking balls in the strike zone, which was good to see,” Black said. “And he laid off a couple of breaking balls outside the strike zone. And that’s what ‘Monty’s’ challenge is, to lay off balls out of the strike zone. But that’s true for a lot of players.”
The Rockies went to work right away against erratic Chicago right-hander Jesse Scholtens, who threw 46 pitches, and just 20 strikes in the first inning. The Rockies used four walks, an error, and Elias Diaz’s two-run single to stake a 3-1 lead.
Colorado added two more runs in the second on Nolan Jones’ big-hop single over the glove of first baseman Andrew Vaughn. And then it added two more in the runs in the fourth on Montero’s two-run triple off the right-field wall.
On Sunday, the Rockies will attempt to snare their first series sweep since taking three games from Milwaukee on May 2-4 at Coors Field. The White Sox have lost six of their last seven games and are 12-27 since July 1.
Injury updates. Right-handers Chase Anderson and Ryan Feltner took major steps toward rejoining the rotation when they both threw live batting practice Saturday.
Anderson, out with right shoulder inflammation, consistently threw his fastball between 92 and 94 mph. Anderson is scheduled to join Triple-A Albuquerque this week and pitch on Wednesday at Oklahoma City and on Aug. 29 at Sacramento.
Feltner, who suffered a concussion and fractured skull when he was hit by a line drive on May 14, also threw live batting practice Saturday. His fastball reached 98 mph. His next stop will be in Scottsdale, Ariz., where he will pitch live batting practice at the Rockies’ Salt River Fields complex. Feltner is hopeful of making a few starts with the Rockies before the end of the season.
