Freeland ends win drought
Rockies bats power victory over White Sox
Kyle Freeland pitched five innings for his first win in three months, and the Colorado Rockies beat the Chicago White Sox 11-5 on Saturday night.
Charlie Blackmon homered as last-place Colorado earned its second straight win. Elehuris Montero had three hits and four RBIS, and Brendan Rodgers and Nolan Jones also had three hits apiece.
Freeland (5-13) was charged with four runs and eight hits in his first win since May 14 against Philadelphia. The veteran lefthander went 0-9 with a 6.19 ERA in his previous 14 starts.
Luis Robert Jr. hit his 33rd homer for the White Sox, who have dropped six of seven. Elvis Andrus continued his hot stretch with two hits and a steal of home in the first inning.
Colorado scored three runs in the first and two more in the second off Jesse Scholtens (1-6).
Jones made it 5-2 with a tworun single in the second. Montero added a two-run triple in the fourth.
Lenyn Sosa hit a two-run single for Chicago in the fifth, but Blackmon responded with a tworun shot in the seventh against Jimmy Lambert. It was Blackmon’s sixth homer of the season.
Trainer’s room
Rockies: RHP Chase Anderson (right shoulder inflammation) threw live batting practice. He is scheduled to join Triple-a Albuquerque for rehab . ... RHP Ryan Feltner (skull fracture) pitched live batting practice to an Lscreen. He is slated to go to the team’s facility in Arizona.
Welcome back, Toddfather
Todd Helton threw out a ceremonial first pitch in his return to Coors Field as part of Colorado’s celebration of 30 years since its inaugural season. Helton played 17 seasons, all with the Rockies, and retired as the franchise leader in several categories.
Helton, a five-time All-star and 2000 NL batting champion, retired after the 2013 season with a .316 career batting average. He fell 11 votes shy of making the Hall of Fame this year and hopes he gets the votes in 2024.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about it because I do, but it’s also something I can’t control,” said Helton, who turns 50 on Sunday. “I’ll be blessed and grateful and every other adjective you can think of but until then I just go about my life.”