Story homers twice, Freeland pitches nice and Rockies roll over Rangers, 5-2

Sunday’s matchup between Texas and Colorado featured two starting pitchers looking to rebound from a forgettable 2019 season and recapture their relevance of Cy Young Award considerations in 2018.

While one feels a lot better going into his next start following a 5-2 series-clinching win for the Rockies, the other will be answering more of the same questions about his productivity.

Rangers’ Corey Kluber looked solid in the first frame before leaving the game with shoulder tightness and shifting the balance of the remaining eight innings.

For Colorado, Kyle Freeland pitched sharply over six innings, striking out five and getting two double plays to erase run-scoring threats when he needed it most.

Though the 27-year-old lefty gave up a solo home run to Joey Gallo in the second and had a lot of traffic on the bases during the one-run third inning, he kept the ball out of the air otherwise with six ground outs and one fly out.

Player of the Game: Trevor Story

A two-run home run to right field tied the score in the fourth and a solo blast to left field in the sixth put up the Rockies 4-2 for the shortstop’s 15th multi-homer game of his five-year career. In the process, Story moved ahead of Blake Street Bomber Dante Bichette to 6th on the Rockies all-time leaderboard for multi-home run games. He walked in his other two plate appearances and recorded three runs batted in.

Honorable Mention: Kyle Freeland

Turning Point: Freeland induces critical double play

Down 2-0 in the bottom of the third with two runners on base, Freeland got Texas’ no.3 hitter Danny Santana to roll one over for a textbook 6-4-3 double play. While he gave Gallo the free base to put Rangers on the corners, he got Rougned Odor to pop out to end the threat. No other opposing player reached second base for the Arlington nine.

Defensive Moment: Tony Wolters pounces on would-be bunt single

Before Freeland called it a day with six innings and 80 pitches, Rougned Odor placed a bunt just beyond his dropped-bat to spark a two-out rally. Wolters made an athletic play to get out from behind the plate and made an even more spectacular throw to the outside of first base to nab the speedy second baseman thanks to the smooth grab by Daniel Murphy.

Honorable Mention: Story ranges up the middle

Diamond Details

• After throwing 28 pitches the previous night to secure Saturday’s 3-2 victory, closer Wade Davis tossed a one-two-three ninth for his second save in as many nights.
• Yency Almonte pitched wonderfully over two innings of work, striking out three and giving up only an infield single. With RHP Tyler Kinley and LHP James Pazos warming up in the bullpen, Bud Black opted to ride the hot hand through the eighth inning to give the 26-year-old one of the best outings of his young career.
• Ryan McMahon continues to struggle with an 0-for-3 day at the plate that included two more strikeouts. However, his sacrifice fly in the fourth was ultimately the winning RBI of the ballgame.
• David Dahl’s 12-game hit streak that dated back to the end of his 2019 season was snapped during an 0-for-4 game that included a base on balls that started the three-run fourth to increase his on-base streak to 17 games.
• Monday is an off-day for Colorado as they travel to Oakland for a brief two-game set against the Athletics. Tuesday’s 7:40pm affair will see RHP Antonio Senzatela take on RHP Daniel Megden; Wednesday’s 1:40pm matinee sees the return of RHP German Márquez against RHP Frankie Montas.