Sustained prosperity remains an elusive proposition for the Colorado Rockies.
The Rockies were three outs from an improbable series win against the Washington Nationals before a calamitous top of the ninth inning Sunday afternoon.
Colorado wasted a wonderful start from Kyle Freeland in his return from the injured list, and the Nationals rallied to collect a smash-and-grab 2-1 victory in front of 30,407 at Coors Field. Freeland and Nick Mears had stymied the Washington bats with a combined eight innings of one-hit ball before the Nationals scored twice on Jalen Beeks.
“It just sucks because everybody but pretty much me did their job to win a game,” Beeks said. “I’ve just got to find a way to get those guys out and stay consistent.”
Lane Thomas doubled home CJ Abrams, then Joey Meneses singled to score Thomas and give the Nationals the lead.
The inning started with a comebacker to the mound that glanced off Beeks’ glove to allow the leadoff man on base.
“He’ll tell you he should have made that play,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “Beeks is going to pitch with the fastball. He’s going to get it at the top of the zone. The two hits didn’t quite get to the top. … There were two pitches that he didn’t quite the location right.”
The Rockies tried to rally for a second straight win against Washington closer Kyle Finnegan, but he struck out the last two hitters of the game with two runners on to seal the Nationals victory.
Freeland was masterful for the Rockies. He went 5 1/3 innings before allowing a hit in his first start for the club since April 14.
The one hit he allowed was a slow chopper down the third-base line. Ryan McMahon’s throw ended up down the right-field line, giving Jacob Young a hit and two bases on the error. Young had just drawn a smattering of boos for attempting to bunt on the first pitch of the at-bat.
With Young at third and one out, Freeland collected his third and fourth strikeouts of the game against CJ Abrams and Lane Thomas to end the threat, unleashing a demonstrative yell after what would be his final pitch of the day.
“Two months down of not pitching and sitting on those first four starts of the season leaves a really bad taste in your mouth. It’s going to eat at you,” Freeland said. “Thankfully, I was able to fine-tune what I needed to over the past few months, get my work in and figure some things out.”
Freeland threw 69 pitches, needing more than 13 only once — in the sixth when he struck out the side. He walked one batter and faced a three-ball count only three times.
His first five innings featured all kinds of weak contact and 14 consecutive outs on balls in play after a leadoff strikeout. He induced seven swings and misses in the sixth inning, five more than he had in the first five combined.
It was easily the best start of the season for Freeland, and the first time he’s gone six innings without allowing a run since May 14 of last season.
“He was very efficient. I thought his stuff was good,” Black said. “The fastball had life to it. The slider and curveball had good action. He kept the ball down. He was outstanding.”
Freeland missed more than two months with an elbow strain. He allowed 25 runs (23 earned) over his first four outings of the season, including 10 on Opening Day against the Diamondbacks.
Michael Toglia crushed a home run in the bottom of the second inning to open the scoring. Toglia’s blast traveled 462 feet into the second deck in right field.
It was the seventh home run of the season for Toglia and the longest of his MLB career by 35 feet. It also matched McMahon’s homer from Thursday night against the Dodgers as the joint longest by a Colorado hitter in 2024.
Other than Young reaching third base on an error in the sixth, neither team threatened to produce much offense on this hot afternoon in Denver. The Rockies had two guys on in the first, but that was the only multi-runner frame of the contest until the Nationals scored in the ninth.
The guy pitching opposite Freeland was one pitch from matching him. Washington’s Jake Irvin matched a career high with 10 strikeouts, including nine of the final 13 batters he faced. He allowed only the Toglia home run and a couple of singles. No other batter reached third base against him.
“(The offense) has been variable,” Black said. “There’s been good nights and bad nights. It’s a younger lineup. … These guys are cutting their teeth.”
Pitching probables
Monday: OFF
Tuesday:Rockies LHP Austin Gomber (1-4, 4.36 ERA) at Astros RHP Hunter Brown (4-5, 4.72)
Wednesday: Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-6, 6.12) at Astros RHP Spencer Arrighetti (3-6, 6.36)
Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.
Originally Published: June 23, 2024 at 3:36 p.m.
