One game into the 2025 season, the Rockies are already singing the bullpen blues, and manager Bud Black was left to explain a crucial decision.
The end was sudden and painful. The Rays’ Kameron Misner homered on Victor Vodnik’s first-pitch, 97.4 mph fastball of the ninth inning for a walk-off homer and a 3-2 victory on Friday at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
And so the Rockies wasted Kyle Freeland’s fantastic start, blowing a 2-0 lead that seemed insurmountable, so long as Freeland was on the mound.
The lefty, making his franchise-high fourth Opening Day start, pitched brilliantly for six scoreless innings. He mixed all his pitches, showed off a wicked knuckle curve and biting slider, and worked effectively inside with his fastball.
“We had everything going today,” Freeland told reporters in Tampa, Fla. “I felt like we had a really good rhythm going with ‘Goodie’ (Hunter Goodman) behind the dish. He called an incredible game. We put them in a rocking chair from the jump. We stuck with our game plan and kept going.”
Freeland struck out seven, walked none and allowed two weak hits. Yandy Diaz reached on a swinging bunt in the fourth, and Josh Lowe’s roller found a hole through the left side of the infield in the fourth.
It was sweet redemption after Freeland’s disastrous Opening Day start last year at Arizona when he gave up a career-high 10 runs on 10 hits in just 2 2/3 innings.
Friday, Freeland threw just 67 pitches, 53 for strikes. The lefty rarely exceeds 92 mph with his fastball, but he punched out Danny Jansen in the fifth with a 94 mph heater.
Despite Freeland’s incredibly efficient outing and low pitch count, Black lifted Freeland after the sixth, even though Freeland had exceeded 67 pitches twice during Cactus League games.
When asked if he second-guessed his decision, Black told reporters, “It was a good question.” Then he explained himself.
“That was a tough one,” Black said. “The thing about it is, itap early in the year, and thatap the thing, probably for me, that led to that decision. Itap early.
“Kyle threw 75 pitches in spring training … but hadn’t gone seven (innings). That was the main thought behind it. And itap a long year.”
Black also said that Freeland was “a little winded.”
Freeland concurred.
“I know I had only touched six innings once in spring training,” Freeland said. “I told (Black) I was a little winded, and you have to have a good rapport with your manager and let them know what you want to do.”
Still, Black’s call to the bullpen for veteran right-hander Tyler Kinley backfired, bringing back memories of last season’s frequent late-game meltdowns. Colorado blew 38 saves, tied for the most in the National League.
Brandon Lowe led off the seventh with a single off Kinley, and Junior Caminero followed with a double down the left-field line. Jonathan Arando’s pinch-hit, sacrifice fly in foul territory to deep right field scored Lowe and advanced Caminero to the third. Jose Caballero’s single to left scored Caminero and tied the game, 2-2.
Black said that Kinley got into trouble by falling behind in the count.
Colorado took a 1-0 lead in the third on Ezequiel Tovar’s RBI double down the left field line off Rays right-hander Ryan Pepiot to score Jordan Beck, who reached on an error and stole second.
Colorado cobbled together another run in the fourth. Michael Toglia was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a wild pitch, took third on Goodman’s single and scored on Kyle Farmer’s sacrifice fly.
Colorado had seven hits, led by third baseman Ryan McMahon’s 3-for-3 day that included a double and a surprise bunt single. But the Rockies struck out 12 times and were 2 of 10 with runners in scoring position.
Saturday’s pitching matchup
Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela (0-1, 6.57 ERA in 2024) at Rays RHP Zack Littell (8-10, 3.63)
2:10 p.m. Saturday, George M. Steinbrenner Field
TV: Rockies.TV (streaming); Comcast/Xfinity (channel 1262); DirecTV (683); Spectrum (130, 445, 305, 435 or 445, depending on region).
Radio: 850 AM, 94.1 FM
Trending: In four Cactus League starts, Senzatela posted a 1.21 ERA with four walks vs. 19 strikeouts. It was the lowest ERA in the Cactus League and the lowest in Rockies spring training history (minimum 20 innings pitched). Lefty Jorge De La Rose’s 1.50 mark in 2010 was the previous best.
Pitching probables
Sunday: Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (3-10, 4.49 in 2024) at Rays RHP Taj Bradley (8-11, 4.11 in 2024), 11:40 a.m.
Monday: Rockies RHP German Marquez (0-0, 6.75 in 2024) at Phillies LHP Cristopher Sanchez (11-9, 3.32 in 2024), 1:05 p.m.
