The Rockies have been talking the talk, insisting they have erased the nightmare of 2025, and proclaiming they can be a winning team — “a lot sooner than you think,” in the words of manager Warren Schaeffer.
Eyes might be rolling at those comments, but on Tuesday night at Coors Field, the Rockies walked the walk, beating the Astros 5-1. Starter Kyle Freeland was nails, and Willi Castro and Mickey Moniak both slipped on the celebratory purple faux fur coat after launching home runs.
The Rockies have won three in a row for the first time since their four-game winning streak from Aug. 15-18 of last season and inched back toward .500 with a 5-6 record.
“Listen, this is a different team, this is a new team, ” Schaeffer said. “This is not the same team as last year. The more we can start moving away from talking about last year, I think the better.
“That’s not even a mention in that clubhouse. We are worried about this team right now, and we feel like we are playing good baseball right now.”
Here’s the deal with Freeland. He’s dealing. The lefty, pitching on the ninth anniversary of his major league debut, allowed one run on three hits over 6 1/3 innings. After three starts, he has a 2.30 ERA.
Freeland was commanding — with all of his pitches. He landed 55 of his 81 pitches for strikes, surrendered three hits, walked only two, and struck out five. He fanned the dangerous Jose Altuve twice. The Astros frequently topped the ball, resulting in 10 outs via groundballs.
“I felt pretty good from the jump,” said Freeland, who posted his 54th career quality start at Coors Field, leaving him just three starts shy of tying Aaron Cook for the most quality starts by a pitcher at Coors all-time.
“Everything was working, the changeup was working later in the game, the fastball location was great, and I was keeping them off-balance with offspeed, and the breaker was down in the zone,” he continued.
Freeland, who has a 2.30 ERA after three starts, has had a love-hate relationship with his changeup throughout his 10-year career, but he’s throwing it with confidence at the moment after working with new pitching coach Alon Leichman.
“The changeup, as you guys know, has been a pitch I have struggled with throughout my entire career, trying to find a good grip, trying to find a good way to throw it, and understand the pitch,” he said. “But working with Alon and our pitching coaches this offseason and in camp, we have got something that we really like with the grip, and executing it has really come along nicely. Tonight really showed the work we put in on it.”
Castro showed why Colorado signed him to a two-year, $12.8 million contract. The versatile veteran infielder, who started at second base Tuesday night, hit 3 for 4 and drove in three Rockies runs.
The switch-hitter put Colorado ahead to stay with a two-run homer in the fourth off Astros starter Mike Burrows. Castro smashed Burrows’ 2-1, 87.7 mph slider 436 feet and into the Colorado bullpen in right field. The home run was Castro’s first in a Rockies uniform and snapped his 32-game homerless streak, the third-longest of his career.
Moniak hit his team-leading third home run of the season in the seventh, a two-out, two-run blast to right off reliever Kai-Wei Teng. He was rewarded by teammates slipping the purple coat on his shoulders.
“It was warm, it was really warm for April, for sure,” Moniak said. “But it’s cool … it’s an awesome coat.”
The Astros took a 1-0 lead in the second on Christian Walker’s homer down the right-field line. He lofted Freeland’s 0-1 fastball 371 feet, sneaking it over the wall and just inside the foul pole.
Colorado tied the game in the bottom of the frame, combining an infield hit by Troy Johnston, a walk by T.J. Rumfield, and an RBI single to left by Castro.
The game’s bonus came from right-hander Antonio Senzatela, the former starter who was moved to the bullpen. He pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing no hits, striking out three, and walking none. Senezatela logged the first career save in his 181st career appearance.
“You know, it was amazing being a starter, and now saving a game is amazing,” he said. “You always dream of that back on the field when (you’re) a kid, trying to close a game. Doing it in the big leagues is nice.”
Colorado looks for its first sweep of the season when it hosts Houston on Wednesday afternoon at Coors.
Pitching probables
Wednesday: Astros RHP Cristian Javier (0-1, 12.96 ERA) at Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (0-1, 14.73), 1:10 p.m.
Thursday: Rockies TBD at Padres RHP at RHP Randy Vasquez (1-0. 0.75), 7:40 p.m.
Friday: Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (1-0, 1.69) at Padres RHP Walker Beuhler (0-1, 9.45), 7:40 p.m.
