Kyle Freeland Dazzles Again: Rockies conquer, colonize Pirates

DENVER – The Colorado Rockies won back to back ballgames and ended with a 5-1 six game homestand as they pounded the Pirates 13-3 on Sunday afternoon. Colorado has now powered themselves to 74 runs on 98 hits in the past seven ballgames.

Kyle Freeland, who is right at home in his hometown of Denver with a 2.78 ERA at Coors Field after his performance against Pittsburgh threw six strong, allowing just six hits en route to another really solid performance.

The young lefty nabbed win No. 10 on the season, joining Antonio Senzatela in double figures, and becoming the first pair of Rockies rookies to do so in a season since 2002 (Denny Stark and Jason Jennings.)

Charlie Blackmon had his MLB leading 44th multi-hit game in a three-for-five performance and the club moved to 30-14 when he’s obtained more than a deuce. His team got one big inning and a second huge inning in the Purple’s thrashing of the Black and Gold.

Freeland started where left off in his last start by setting down the first seven. In the third inning when he allowed his first hit the Rockies got their own rally kicked off. They tabbed four runs on four hits sending all nine to the plate. A quality at bat from Trevor Story started the rally and Nolan Arenado’s two run single was the big hit for the Rockies.

The Pirates came up with an ace in the top half of the fourth. Pushing out three hits, a double by Josh Harrison and a single by the fiery Josh Bell was how they did it. The Rockies did the same in the fifth on a solo dinger from Charlie Blackmon. He took an Ivan Nova pitch the other way, just the second time in the lefty’s career he’s taken one deep to left field.

David Freese tagged right back in the sixth with a solo shot.

The sixth went horribly for the Pirates.

Ivan Nova, who had the fourth best ERA in the NL since being acquired by the Bucs got roughed up and knocked out.

Carlos Gonzalez singled to start, Story homered behind him. Ryan Hanigan was next and he walked for Pat Valaika and he pinch hit bombed one over the wall. After an out DJ LeMahieu walked to get it going again Arenado drove him in with a single and Mark Reynolds hit the third two run shot of the inning. All told the Rockies taco’d in the seventh alone tallying seven and boosting them to a 12-3 lead.

The Pirates added one against Adam Ottavino in the eighth yet Reynolds got it back with his second dinger of the game.

That’d be the final with no kerfuffles.