Freeland returns to pitch three strong innings
Rockies lefthander Kyle Freeland is making neat work of his spring training to-do list.
Get comfortable with a new delivery that no longer includes a flamingo-like pause? Check.
Build up his pitch count, hone his changeup and command his curveball? Check, check and check.
“We mixed the curve and the changeup very well today; got a lot of soft contact and swingsand-misses,” Freeland said Sunday after pitching three innings against the Indians, allowing one run on two hits and two walks. His one big mistake was leaving a fastball over the plate, which Bobby Bradley crushed to deep left for a solo home run in the second.
Freeland struck out four, scoring three punchouts with his changeup and the other with a curveball.
Freeland said he’s 100% free of the lower-back pain that forced him to skip a Cactus League start and that he’s on track to be ready for the regular season. He has a specific game plan for each of his spring outings and will then try to put it all together before the Rockies break camp.
One thing manager Bud Black would like to see is a greater difference in velocity between Freeland’s fastball and change.
“For now, we’re seeing what we want,” Black said. “In time, we want to see him take a little bit more off. Some of those (changeups) are 87-88 mph. In a perfect world, we would like to see it a little bit lower.”
Bard update. Reliever Daniel Bard’s unlikely comeback got back on track Saturday when he pitched a perfect sixth inning in the Rockies’ 7-1 loss to the Dodgers. He struck out two, and his fastball hummed at 95-96 mph.
“It felt much, much better than that first time out,” Bard said Sunday.
The 34-year-old right-hander was referring to his Rockies debut Wednesday when he allowed six runs on four hits with two walks in one-third of an inning against Texas.
Bard hasn’t pitched in the majors since he was with the Red Sox in 2013 and last appeared in the minors in 2017.
Power slider. Veteran righthanded reliever Tyler Kinley, who tossed a perfect ninth inning, continues to gain praise from Black.
“We like the velocity, and the intent is there every pitch,” Black said. “I really like the slider. It’s a real pitch. … He’s got a good head on his shoulders. (He’s) a clear thinker. There’s a lot to like.”
Kinley has not allowed a run in six Cactus League innings.