Rockies find their offense, split series in San Diego

It’s been a sluggish road trip for the Colorado Rockies but in the final game, they found themselves with a 7-3 victory over the San Diego Padres, earning a four-game series split.

Kyle Freeland was not his typical self but somehow managed a more than respectable final line. He began with a lack of command and struggled to miss bats all day but he battled and refused to give in, scratching out six innings, giving up three runs.

The Rockies took an early lead by manufacturing a run in the top of the first. Charlie Blackmon swung at the very first pitch of the game pulling one to right field for a double. DJ LeMahieu hit a groundball to the right side to move him to third and Nolan Arenado lifted one to right for a sac fly.

The Padres came right back by frustrating Freeland to the utmost extent in the bottom of the first. It started with Freddy Galvis fouling off some tough pitches before eventually drawing an eight-pitch walk. Luis Urias followed by swinging at the first pitch he saw, lining it to left for a single.

Freeland got Hunter Renfroe to pop out on the infield, failing to advance the runners. But he fell behind Eric Hosmer 3-0 before storming back into the at-bat with five straight strikes, the last two of which were fouled off by the cleanup hitter. The ninth pitch of the encounter missed just high, loading the bases with one out.

Again, Freeland got a pop up on the infield, this time from Wil Myers, putting him just one pitch away from escaping the mess. But his next pitch, and first to the MVP of this series for San Diego, Franmil Reyes, was lined into center field, scoring a pair of runs to give the Padres a 2-1 lead.

It was Reyes’ fifth hit in the series.

The Rockies evened the score in the fourth. Arenado singled to left with one away and moved to third on a frozen rope double into the gap off the bat of Trevor Story. David Dahl came through with a productive out, giving the Rockies two sac flies for their two runs on another fly ball to right.

But that brief tie was erased in head-scratching fashion in the bottom of the inning. After finally getting Reyes out, Freeland got Manuel Margot to pop up on the infield—after getting squeezed on what should have been a called strike three—but Ian Desmond lost it in the sun, allowing Margot to get all the way to second with a double.

That mistake was immediately compounded by Rockie-killer A.J. Ellis who singled through the right side to plate Margot and give the Padres a 3-3 lead.

Colorado tied it up again in the sixth thanks to a clutch two-out double from Story. Down 1-2 with LeMahieu at third base after walking and moving up on a groundout and wild pitch, Story expanded for a swing on a fastball well outside the zone but he slashed it down the right-field line for an easy two-bagger. David Dahl popped up, stranding him at second.

The Rockies offense finally caught a bit of a rhythm in the top of the seventh beginning with a hard single up the middle from Desmond. He swiped second in front of a Gerardo Parra walk at which time both veterans took off for a double steal without a throw. With that, Desmond now has 17 steals on the season, second most on the club after Story.

Chris Iannetta stepped into the box with an opportunity for yet another sac fly to tie the game up but instead opted to line one over Reyes’ head in right field for a two-RBI double. Pinch-hitter Matt Holliday flew out to right but Blackmon came up with his second base hit of the day, a line drive single to right, scoring Iannetta to give the Rockies a 6-3 advantage.

Seunghwan Oh worked a very quick 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the seventh.

Dahl added an insurance run by absolutely demolishing a fastball for a no-doubt home run onto the walkway beyond the wall in right to make it 7-3, Rockies.

Adam Ottavino came on in his normal role for the eighth inning and walked Eric Hosmer on a pitch well inside the strike zone after getting Renfroe to pop out. He rebounded by striking out Wil Myers and Reyes, both looking.

Scott Oberg worked a clean final frame with a pair of strikeouts to put the game into the win column for Colorado.

They improve to 73-62 and will be a half-game back of whoever emerges victorious in Los Angeles for first place in the NL West.

Final Stats:

Kyle Freeland: 6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K

Seunghwan Oh: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Adam Ottavino: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Scott Oberg: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Charlie Blackmon: 3-for-5, 1 R, 1 RBI

Trevor Story: 2-for-4, 1 RBI

David Dahl: 1-for-3, 1 R, 2 RBI (HR: 8)

Chris Iannetta: 1-for-3, 1 R, 2 RBI

What’s Next:

The Rockies return home to face another divisional opponent in the San Francisco Giants. It will be a tough homecoming with the first game being a second straight afternoon contest and Madison Bumgarner on the hill. The Rockies will hand the rock to the recently-struggling Tyler Anderson. First pitch at 1:10 Mountain Time.