FREELAND’S STRONG START LEADS ROCKIES TO SWEEP
PHOENIX» The visiting clubhouse at Chase Field was a noisy, happy place here late Sunday afternoon. Equipment was being packed for the trip back to Denver, multiple TVs were showing NFL games and players were jabbering about Tiger Wood’s stirring comeback.
It was left to Rockies veteran outfielder Gerardo Parra to make a bold statement about what awaits his team after it blanked the Diamondbacks 20 to complete a crucial threegame sweep.
“I believe,” Parra said. “I believe we are going to make the playoffs. We have a great opportunity. You don’t know that’s going to happen, but we believe.”
Why shouldn’t the Rockies believe? After the performance starter Kyle Freeland turned in Sunday, faith was in the air.
But it’s not going to be easy for Colorado. With seven games remaining — beginning with a fourgame series against Philadelphia that starts Monday night at Coors Field — the Rockies trail St. Louis by1 K games for the second National League wildcard spot and trail the Dodgers by 1K games in the NL West. Once again, the Rockies received no help. The Cardinals completed a threegame sweep of the Giants at St. Louis on Sunday, winning 92. The Dodgers pounded San Diego 140 at Los Angeles.
The Rockies’ hopes rest with their starting pitching, and the sweep showcased that bright, young group. The three starters — German Marquez, Antonio Senzatela and Freeland — combined to pitch 21 innings and post a 1.29 ERA.
“It’s been awesome to see this group, these young pitchers, perform in the second half of the season,” manager Bud Black said. “They have been the backbone. You can’t win without starting pitching over the long haul, over 162 games. And they have come through for us. I am so proud of these young guys.”
Freeland added another chapter to his phenomenal season. He blanked Arizona for seven innings, lowering his ERA to 2.84. Freeland has had sharper performances, as evidenced by the seven hits he allowed Sunday, but he walked only one while striking out six. Most important, he got big outs every time he needed them.
The seventh inning provided a prime example. Ketel Marte reached on an error by rookie shortstop Garrett Hampson, but Freeland got catcher Jeff Mathis to fly out to left, and then got pinchhitter Christian Walker to pop out to second. But Chris Owings kept the pressure on with a single that scooted Marte to third. No biggie for Freeland, who induced Eduardo Escobar to foul out to first baseman Ian Desmond.
“Me and (catcher) Chris (Iannetta) did a great job of bearing down and really executing the pitches,” said Freeland, who improved to 167 and posted his 10th consecutive quality start. “We made pitches to these hitters that we know are their weak spots. I think there in the seventh, we threw six or seven sliders to them.”
Black said Freeland’s maturity and poise have been something to relish.
“That’s the thing that’s really been a pleasure to watch this year,” Black said. “Kyle’s under control. (He’s) a guy who’s able to reel in a couple of bad events or some bad breaks. And when it gets hot, he’s been able to make some big pitches.
“He’s done tremendous work as a secondyear pitcher in this league. I can’t praise him enough for what he’s done.”
Considering what’s at stake for the Rockies, this game was stocked with drama, especially in the eighth inning.
Reliever Adam Ottavino’s stint included a recordbreaking strikeout of Paul Goldschmidt, offset by consecutive walks that put the game, and perhaps the Rockies’ postseason hopes, in jeopardy. But fellow righthander Seunghwan Oh rode to the rescue, striking out A.J. Pollock and getting Ketel Marte to pop out to center.
Ottavino has 108 strikeouts, the most by a reliever in club history, surpassing the 107 strikeouts by Curtis Leskanic in 1995, Colorado’s first playoff season. Closer Wade Davis pitched a perfect ninth to notch his 41st save, tying the club record.
“I’m just happy that we won the game,” Ottavino said. “I knew that (108) was the number, and I got it. But I wanted to get those other two outs. I will think about the record at the end of the year, and I’m definitely proud of it.
“But I do think Buddy made the right move bringing in Oh right there.”
The Rockies’ offense, which came back to life in the first two games of the series, was quiet Sunday.
Colorado took a 10 lead in the third on Nolan Arenado’s runscoring double and increased its lead to 20 in the fifth on Parra’s single to drive in D.J. LeMahieu. The potential was there for more runs in the fifth, but Desmond grounded into a double play.
The Rockies finished their road season with 44 victories, the most in franchise history.