Freeland’s strong road start wasted against Miami
Brendan Rodgers collected four hits in 3-2 loss to Marlins
The Rockies hammered extra-base hits in consecutive late innings Thursday at Miami but once again failed to get a big hit in the clutch. Miami won, 3-2, to complete a three-game sweep.
The Rockies were 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position to spoil an otherwise strong outing from starting pitcher Kyle Freeland. Brendan Rodgers totaled a career-best four hits with a single, two doubles and a triple.
“That’s what Brendan is capable of. He’s that type of talent with the bat,” manager Bud Black told Mlb.com after the game. “A good series. He swung the bat great.”
Colorado dropped to 10 games below .500 — tying a season-low watermark. The Rockies (30-40) now embark on a three-game road series at Minnesota.
Miami scored the winning run in the eighth. Rockies reliever Alex Colome gave up singles to Garrett Cooper and Jesus Aguilar. Then Miguel Rojas brought in the winning run with an RBI groundball fielder’s choice.
The Rockies were unable to move runners over in crunch time. A sixth-inning leadoff double from Elehuris Montero and a seventhinning Rodgers triple were wasted. The Rockies combined for 10 strikeouts with 13 runners left on base.
Freeland struggled early, allowing two earned runs between the second (Aguilar leadoff triple and Rojas RBI single) and third (Jon Berti double, Jazz Chisholm HBP and Jorge Soler RBI sacrifice fly) to tie the game at 2-2.
But Freeland finished strong in a no-decision. He retired 12 of 16 Marlins he faced over the next four innings while giving up just three hits and no runs during that span. Freeland, after totaling five strikeouts and zero walks, was pulled after the seventh.
“Kyle is pitching great,” Black told reporters. “Outstanding effort. I thought he really pitched well. A lot of his success this month has been fastball command, especially fastball inside to right-handed hitters. He’s been pitching very well with the fastball. I think that sets everything else up. … He’s done his part.”
The Rockies took their first lead in the third fueled by a C.J. Cron two-out walk facing Marlins starter Braxton Garrett. Then Rodgers doubled and a Miami error on the relay throw allowed Cron to score and advance Rodgers to third. A Ryan Mcmahon RBI single gave Colorado a 2-1 advantage.
Children filled much of the stands in Miami for Camp Day, with area summer camps invited to the pre-noon first pitch. The morning start following a night game gave manager Bud Black the roster flexibility to play two prospects: Montero and Sean Bouchard.
Montero ripped his first career MLB extra-base hit (a sixth-inning double). Bouchard went 0 for 4. Colorado regulars Randal Grichuk and Charlie Blackmon each took a day of rest.