The charge: The Rockies remain an extremely flawed baseball team. The evidence: A 9-1 loss to Arizona on Friday night at Coors Field in front of an announced crowd of 27,557.
Cue the Law & Order sound effects.
This is their story: Rockies veteran left-hander Kyle Freeland, who has struggled mightily since coming back from the injured list on April 28, gave up six runs on five hits in the first inning. The Diamondbacks had some bloop hits in the inning, but Freeland also walked two batters and threw 42 pitches.
Meanwhile, Diamondbacks 37-year-old right-hander Merrill Kelly toyed with the Rockies en route to a rare complete game. It was the first complete game of his long career, and he became the first Diamondbacks pitcher to spin a CG since Zac Gallen did it Sept. 8, 2023, against the Cubs in Chicago.
“Kelly had a lot of early, soft-contact outs,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said. “He had a cutter-changeup combination that he (uses) here often. … We had some over-aggressiveness against pitches you don’t necessarily want to offer at early.
“Hats off to Kelly. He lived on the edges, like he does. He knows how to pitch, and we fell into (his) trap.”
Freeland’s night was over after 3 2/3 innings. The lefty gave up seven earned runs on eight hits with four walks, including three walks to former Rockies star third baseman Nolan Arenado. Freeland snapped his streak of 70 consecutive starts with three walks or fewer, the longest streak in franchise history. Freeland is 1-5 with a 7.22 ERA in seven starts this season.
“The first six hits were all low-exit-velo hits … but we get them all of the time on this side, too,” Freeland said. “It’s just unfortunate that they compiled and they were able to put their foot on the pedal and score six in the first and pretty much put us away.”
Schaeffer praised Freeland for pitching into the fourth inning and saving Colorado’s bullpen, at least a little bit.
“If that happens to Kyle, he wants to go out and do all he can do for the team,” Schaeffer said. “Which, I felt like he did (tonight). He gave all he had, 100%.”
Still, Freeland’s slump is troubling. Since returning from the shoulder injury that landed him on the IL, Freeland is 0-4 with an 11.50 ERA in four starts. However, both Freeland and manager Warren Schaeffer said there is no injury issue.
“I feel fine, physically, going out there,” Freeland said. “I know that my velo dipped after the first inning, I don’t know why. But physically, I feel fine.”
Added Schaeffer: “I think he’s OK, physically. I just think he’s going through a little rough stretch here. I don’t think there is anything wrong with his arm.”
Meanwhile, Lelly toyed with the Rockies. He gave up four hits, walked none and struck out two. He threw 100 pitches and let out a victory shout as he walked off the mound in the ninth.
The Rockies, who slid to 7-11 at Coors Field after losing there for the seventh time in eight games at home, simply never figured out Kelly, who entered the night 2-3 with a 7.62 ERA.
Hunter Goodman blasted a two-out solo homer to left off Kelly in the first inning (his 11th), but Colorado barely laid a glove on Kelly after that. Kyle Karros hit a one-out single to center in the third, Ezequiel Tovar lined a two-out double to right-center in the fifth, and Mickey Moniak had a double in the ninth.
Outfielder Sterlin Thompson, called up from Triple-A Albuquerque on Friday, made his big-league debut in the eighth inning as a pinch-hitter. He grounded out to first base on Kelly’s first-pitch curveball.
Pitching probables
Saturday: Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (4-0, 2.25 ERA) at Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (3-3, 4.07), 1:10 p.m.
Sunday: Diamondbacks RHP Michael Soroka (5-2, 3.53) at Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-5, 6.55), 1:10 p.m.
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM
