Freeland fantastic in Colorado’s nerve-wracking win over Arizona

The Colorado Rockies improved to 12-5 thanks to an 8-7 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks that basically played out as two different ballgames.

The first one saw a pitcher’s duel between Kyle Freeland and Zac Gallen that ended up playing out to a 2-2, seven-inning dray. Then things got crazy.

Gallen has never allowed more than three runs in a start in his entire 19-game career.

So it should come as no surprise that the Rockies scored just two upon him. But Freeland matched him with a seven-inning, two-run performance of his own and his fourth-straight quality start to leave this one in the hands of the bullpen.

As it turned out, the Rockies offense was able to muster just a bit more in those late innings.

Player of the Game: Kyle Freeland 7 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Two infield swinging bunt hits and a walk on a pitch that caught all of the upper outside corner of the strike zone was not a great start, result-wise. But Freeland kept his calm and got out of the jam unscathed.

In the top of the third, he grooved a fastball that Christian Walker blasted into the left-center field bleachers to make it 1-0.

He threw five pitches in the fifth and got two sterling defensive plays from Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story.

Starling Marte surprised everyone with a bunt to lead off the sixth and David Peralta followed that up with the Diamondbacks’ third swinging-bunt hit of the game to put runners at first and second with nobody out.

For the second time in the game, Freeland worked out of the unlucky jam, this time by getting Walker to roll over into an easy 6-4-3 double play and inducing a weak liner to short from Eduardo Escobar to preserve a one-run lead.

Carson Kelly got Freeland on the first pitch of the seventh inning on a slider that hung up in the zone and he turned it to left for a game-tying solo home run.

Moment of the Game: Garrett Hampson’s triple sparks rally

On a 425ft blast to center that nearly left the ballpark, Hampson led off the eighth with a three-bagger that helped get seven across the plate to decide the game.

Story followed up with a single and Blackmon kept his ridiculous torrid stretch going by lining one off the top of the wall in a near-homer.

Daniel Murphy singled home another and Raimel Tapia committed left-on-left crime with a double to score two more. Tony Wolters chipped in with a single that allowed Tap to tap home plate. It seemed like a slam dunk rally but as it turned out, the Rockies would need every one of the six runs they plated in the bottom of the eighth.

Early Offense

Bottom of the fourth, Charlie Blackmon beat out a grounder up the middle for his second hit of the game. Nolan Arenado smashed one to deep center field for his fourth home run of the year to put Colorado back on top at 2-1. It was the second time this season the Rockies have responded to Freeland surrendering the lead by getting it back before recording an out.

Defensive Gem: Arenado reacts to 105 MPH laser

After his two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth, Arenado turned around to make a fantastic grab in the fifth inning off the bat of Andy Young. The one-hopper had an expected batted average of .580, but after it was hit in the vicinity of the best third baseman in the game, there was zero chance it would be a hit.

Diamond Details

• Entering Tuesday’s game, Colorado had a staff earned run average at 3.42 (142.0 IP, 54 ER), good for second in the National League and fifth in the Majors.
• Charlie Blackmon currently has as many hits, 34, as the St. Louis Cardinals. With play suspended for the Redbirds until Friday – at the earliest – Blackmon will have an opportunity to jump ahead.