Rockies Briefs FREELAND’S FOCUS: REMAIN GROUNDED
Kyle Freeland’s loudest out Saturday was a punch. Two on and two out in the sixth in a one-run game. The 23year-old left-hander, an anchor in the Rockies’ rookie-heavy rotation, threw a sinkerball to strike out a Giants threat, whiffing pinch-hitter Brandon Belt.
“Big at-bat, he got him,” Colorado manager Bud Black said. “Thing about the strikeout is the ball doesn’t leave the field.”
But neither do groundballs. Freeland forced 15 groundballs among the 22 the Giants put in play Saturday in the Rockies’ 5-1 victory, a rate by which the Denver native is conquering Coors Field. His 58.7 percent groundball rate this season is the best in the National League, followed closely by Colorado veteran Tyler Chatwood (58.4 percent) and San Diego’s Clayton Richard (58.3).
Freeland, by extension, is translating all those groundballs into a Coors Field anomaly. He is allowing very few home runs, eight total this season and none from the Giants on Saturday. His 0.89 home run per nine innings ratio ranks 10th best in the NL.
“Being a sinker-heavy pitcher, it plays into my game,” Freeland said. “I can go back-to-back-to-back sinkers and have a good chance of getting a groundball.”
When former Rockies and current Giants catcher Nick Hundley scored from second base in the fourth inning, he lowered his shoulder and plowed through Colorado catcher Tony Wolters while crossing home plate. It led to a staredown as Hundley walked off the field.
When Wolters came to bat in the bottom of the fourth, they bumped fists and all was well again.
“We’re good. I texted him to apologize,” Wolters said. “I was trying to deke him as long as I could. And he clipped me a little bit.”
Right-handed reliever Adam Ottavino struck out two in a quick eighth inning, his second consecutive two-K, 1-2-3 outing. After missing 10 days this month with a sore shoulder, and despite a tworun outing that led to a loss at Pittsburgh last week, Ottavino seems to have found form.
“Let’s hope so. I think he’s in a good spot,” Black said.
Ottavino has struck out nine of the 19 batters he faced and walked just one, lowering his ERA to 2.84.
Carlos Gonzalez dived and slid into the right-field wall in fifth to steal a hit from Buster Posey.
He also reached base three times and scored twice. He has hits in consecutive games for the first time since June 2, after snapping an 0-for-27 skid Friday.