After a snowy afternoon in Denver, the first pitch temperature was 35 degrees, making it the coldest game in Dodgers history. Then again, they are the Dodgers. And they were playing the Rockies.

The final: Los Angeles 7, Colorado 1. The Rockies (7-13) have lost six of their last seven games. The high-flying Dodgers (15-4) have won 11 of their last 13 games.

Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy sandwiched an RBI double between solo home runs in the second and fifth innings, and right-hander Tyler Glasnow put Colorado’s offense in a deep freeze.

Muncy’s double-homer game was the 21st multi-home run game of his career, and four of those have been launched at Coors.

Glasnow was superb. He gave up one run on two hits over seven innings, striking out seven and walking two. Colorado scored its lone run off Glasnow in the fourth on a leadoff double by Mickey Moniak, who scored on Troy Johnston’s groundout to third.

“(Glasnow) is good, he’s really good,” Colorado manager Warren Schaeffer said. “He threw a curveball that was sharp, and he threw it a ball or two beneath the zone — consistently. We just couldn’t square him up today.”

Actually, the Rockies have never squared up Glasnow. In three career appearances (two starts) against the Rockies, the right-hander is  2-0 with a 1.69 ERA, 19 strikeouts and just three walks.

The Dodgers continue to own the Rockies. Dating back to last season, the Rockies are 2-12 against Big Blue (2-7 at Coors, 0-6 in L.A). Colorado is 12-41 against L.A. since its last series win against the Dodgers on June 27-29, 2022.

Rockies right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano was solid in his first three starts, posting a 2.16 ERA and a 0.78 WHIP. But the Dodgers beat him up Friday night, scoring five runs on nine hits over four innings. Sugano allowed a career-high five extra-base hits and needed 91 pitches, and threw just 51 strikes.

He acknowledged the Coors Field cold, but didn’t use it as an excuse.

“It was, no doubt, one of the coldest outings I’ve had in my career, ” Sugano said, using Yuto Sakuri as his interpreter.  “I don’t want to use it as an excuse because the (opposing) hitters are in the same conditions.”

The first inning provided a strong indication that Sugano was in trouble. Shohei Ohtani led off with a double and scored on Will Smith’s sacrifice fly to deep center. Ohtani extended his on-base streak to 49 games, the fourth longest in franchise history.

Freddie Freeman ripped a double to right-center before Sugano struck out Teoscar Hernandez to get out of the inning.

Dollander’s role. Starter-turned-reliever Chase Dollander was brilliant in Colorado’s 3-2 win at Houston Thursday night, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be a full-time starter any time soon. Manager Warren Schaeffer said Friday that he’ll continue to use an “opener” ahead of Dollander.

Why? Routine and to avoid being overexposed by facing the top of the batting order.

“I’m more than comfortable with where he’s at because he’s having a lot of success doing it,” Schaeffer said. “He’s settled into a routine, and routines are very different from being in the bullpen and starting. Obviously, we want him to be a starter, long-term. But right now we don’t want to mess with the routine.”

As for strategy, Schaeffer said: “The third time through the lineup, he’s not facing the top four hitters, which is a big deal. It’s the main reason why you open with anybody.”

Against the Astros, Dollander entered the game in the first inning, pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings, and struck out a career-high nine. He gave up one run and walked two. On Friday, Dollander said he’s “ready for any role I’m asked to fill.”

Injury updates. Lefty starter Kyle Freeland, who’s on the 15-day injured list with shoulder inflammation, underwent an MRI on Friday. The results were encouraging, and the lefty’s stint on the IL should not be a long one. He’s eligible to come off the IL on April 28.

Infielder Willi Castro, hit by a pitch on his right hand on Wednesday night, was out of the lineup again on Friday. However, he’s able to grip the bat better and should return soon.

Pitching probables

Saturday: Dodgers RHP Emmet Sheehan (2-0, 6.60 ERA) at Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-1, 7.30), 6:10 p.m.

Sunday: Dodgers RHP Roki Sasaki (0-2, 6.23) at Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (1-2, 8.10), 1:10 p.m.

Monday: Dodgers LHP Justin Wrobleski (2-0, 2.12) at Rockies LHP Jose Quintana (0-1, 5.63), 6:40 p.m.

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: 850 AM & 94.1 FM

But for the here and now, give Vodnik props for chutzpah.

“That����ap going to be awesome to tell them I faced Shohei Ohtani,” the Rockies’ late-game reliever said. “But for me, hopefully, he says, ‘I got to face Victor Vodnik.'”

Ohtani and are scheduled to open a four-game series against the Rockies at Coors Field on Friday night, weather permitting. If Yankee Stadium was the house that Babe Ruth built, Coors is the house that Ohtani wrecked. In 20 career games there, he’s slashed .387/.452/.773 with seven home runs, including a 476-foot rocket off Austin Gomber on June 18, 2024.

Friday night, fellow Japanese player Tomoyuki Sugano is scheduled to start against the Dodgers. Sugano has faced Ohtani in only one game in the majors, as a starter for Baltimore last season. That was on Sept. 7 when Ohtani connected for his 47th and 48th home runs in his first two at-bats in the Dodgers’  5-2 victory over the Orioles at Camden Yards.

“I don’t have a set game plan going in to face Shohei Ohtani yet,” Sugano told The Post during spring training. “Last year, he hit two home runs off me, so as a Japanese player, I would like to attack him and try to be productive.”

Ohtani won’t pitch during the series in LoDo because he started on Wednesday night in New York against the Mets in Los Angeles’ 8-2 victory. Ohtani dominated, allowing just one run while striking out 10 batters over six innings. The right-hander (who bats left-handed) generated 22 swings and misses. In three starts, his ERA is a sterling 0.50.

Ohtani did not hit on Wednesday because he was still sore from being struck on the back of his right shoulder by a pitch from the Mets’ David Peterson on Monday. However, Ohtani is expected to be the designated hitter vs. the Rockies.

Ohtani, 31, has won four MVP awards in the past five years, all of them unanimously. The two-way player wants another jewel in his glittering crown.

“He wants a Cy Young,” Dodgers backup catcher during spring training. “And you can tell with the way he’s carrying himself here recently.”

So maybe it’s a good thing, for Ohtani, that he’s not starting this time around at Coors Field. Last August, the Rockies hammered him for five runs in four innings. Ohtani gave up career-high-tying nine hits as the Rockies rolled to an 8-3 victory.

That was Ohtani’s first regular-season start at Coors Field, even though he started for the American League in the 2021 All-Star Game, retiring all three batters he faced while going 0 for 2 at the plate in the AL’s 5-2 victory over the National League. Ohtani was pitching for the Angels at the time.

‘You have to be constantly bobbing and weaving’

When Ohtani steps up to the plate at Coors, Colorado’s pitchers know they’d better bring their best stuff. Veteran left-hander Kyle Freeland has seen how the slugger can demolish a pitcher with good intentions but bad execution. Ohtani is 7 for 11 (.636) with two home runs vs. Freeland.

“Every single night, on everybody’s lineup, he’s always circled on the card,” said Freeland, who’s on the injured list with a sore shoulder. “He’s the guy you say, ‘Do not let him be the guy to beat you, just because of what he’s capable of on the offensive side of the ball.’ ”

However, Freeland said a pitcher can’t be afraid to go after Ohtani.

“You don’t want to shy away from him; you definitely still want to attack him,” Freeland continued. “He’s still human, he’s still a baseball player like us, playing at the game’s highest level.”

Right-hander Ryan Feltner, who’s scheduled to start Saturday night’s game, has had success vs. the Dodgers’ star, limiting him to one double in seven at-bats.

“I struck him out on three pitches in L.A. to start the game, so that was cool,” Feltner recalled, looking back to the Dodgers’ 6-2 win over the Rockies on April 15 last season.

But Feltner wasn’t gloating.

“I would like to say he’s just another guy with a bat, but that����ap not true,” Feltner said. “He’s got an incredible ability to cover a lot of different areas of the plate with incredible power. There are really only a few other players who can do that. (Houston’s) Yordan Alverez is another one.

“There are certain guys who can take swings in a part of the zone where they shouldn’t be able to do damage, but they do. You have to be constantly bobbing and weaving with Ohtani.”

Freeland, who knows baseball history, appreciates the challenge of facing the Japanese legend.

“Going up against the very best, the 1% or the 1%, is always fun,” he said. “When you come out on top, it����ap even better. Being able to face a guy like that, and being able to look back years from now and say, ‘I battled against arguably the greatest baseball player we will ever see in our lifetime,’ is pretty cool.”

Vodnik calls Ohtani a “great player,” adding, “The things he’s doing are unbelievable.”

However, the confident Vodnik is not shy about sharing his game plan on dispatching Ohtani.

“First, I have to trust my stuff,” said Vodnik, who has limited experience facing Ohtani  — 2 for 4 with one strikeout and one walk in five plate appearances.

“I know I can beat him up-and-in by throwing changeups,” Vodnik continued. “Or backfoot sliders that are well executed. I don’t see him as any different than anybody else.”

Vodnik’s game plan is to use Ohtani’s strength against him.

“He keeps his barrel in the zone for a very, very long time, and I think that����ap why it����ap good to go in on him,” he said.  “If (the batter’s) going to be doing that, they have got to be ready to turn on that inside pitch. And that’s really hard to do against a guy throwing 100 (mph).

“So I think that once you get him sped up, then you can slow it down and throw the changeup. Or vice versa. You can throw the changeup and speed it up later on. That����ap when it becomes a chess game, right? Also, I know that the last outing I faced him, I punched him out with a changeup. So maybe it’s in the back of his mind, maybe it����ap not. We’ll see.”

Does Vodnik’s red warning light go on when Ohtani steps up to the plate?

“No, for me it’s more so about my always having the same mentality,’ Vodnik said. “I’m attacking you no matter who you are. That����ap just how I am. I have always been that way.

“Obviously, I study my reports, and I know their weaknesses and my strengths. For me, vs. Ohtani, it’s a good matchup. I like it.”

The club announced that veteran left-hander Kyle Freeland, who is off to an excellent start, was placed on the 15-day injured list with left shoulder inflammation. The move is retroactive to Monday. Depending on how long Freeland is out, the IL stint could affect his chances to activate his player option for the 2027 season.

“There’s inflammation in there, but we won’t know exactly what����ap going on until we get the picture or MRI,” “The last couple days it has felt good, I think me taking the steps I did and backing off before the start in San Diego was good.”

Freeland had been scheduled to start on Sunday.

“We think this is a minor issue,” manager

The good news for the Rockies is that veteran lefty starter Jose Quintana was reinstated from the 15-day IL. Quintana, 37, was scheduled to start against the Astros in Houston on Wednesday night.

Quintana went on the IL because of a strained right hamstring. He’s made just one start this season, on March 29 at Miami. He took a no-decision after pitching 4 1/3 innings, giving up two runs on four hits and four walks. He struck out two.

Freeland, 32, was Colorado’s Opening Day starter for the fifth time. After three starts, he was 1-1 with a 2.30 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. The lefty has struck out 13 while walking four.

Freeland, a Denver native and a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School, signed a five-year, $64.5 million contract extension with the Rockies in 2022. The deal runs through the 2026 season. Freeland’s contract includes a $17 million vesting player option for 2027 if he reaches 170 innings pitched in 2026.

Freeland, who’s in his 10th season with Colorado, has reached 170 innings just twice in his career. In 2018, Freeland made 33 starts and pitched 202 1/3 innings while going 17-7 and posting a 2.85 ERA. He finished fourth in the National League Cy Young Award voting. In 2022, Freeland made 31 starts, pitching 174 2/3 innings, and finished with a 9-11 record and  4.53 ERA.

Freeland recently told The Post how proud he feels to have pitched for his hometown team for 10 seasons.

“I mean, looking back, 10-year-old Kyle would say that there is no chance,” he said. “It����ap the coolest thing for me to say that I spent 10 seasons with the Colorado Rockies, the team that I grew up with. This team was born in 1993, the same year that I was born.

“I got to know two Rockies Hall of Famers — Larry Walker and Todd Helton. I would say that����ap all pretty cool.”

Colorado’s starting rotation has been hit or miss through the first 17 games. Veteran right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano is 1-0 with a 2.16 ERA across three starts. But right-handers Michael Lorenzen — 1-2, with an 8.10 ERA in five appearances (four starts) — and Ryan Feltner — 1-1, 7.30 ERA over three starts — have struggled.

Overall, Colorado’s starters had a 4.95 ERA entering Wednesday, the fifth-highest in the majors.

The Rockies wasted an early 3-0 lead and a two-homer performance by Hunter Goodman in a 7-6 loss to the Astros. Colorado, swept in four games in San Diego, has lost five consecutive games.

Credit Colorado for battling back. Down 7-3 at one point, Troy Johnston’s pinch-hit, RBI single scored a run in the eighth, cutting Houston’s lead to 7-6.

The Astros, swept in Colorado last week, snapped an eight-game losing streak.

Key moments: The Rockies had a chance to win the game in the ninth when TJ Rumfield and Ezequiel Tovar hit back-to-back, two-out, two-strike singles. However, Houston reliever Enyel De Los Santos struck out Jordan Beck looking to end the game.

The killer blow for the Rockies was the third, when Houston scored six runs on four hits, two errors by second baseman Willi Castro, and a balk by starter Michael Lorenezen.

Who’s hot: Goodman blasted two solo home runs, a solo blast in the first and another solo shot in the fifth. The catcher, Colorado’s lone All-Star last season, has four home runs this season. Dating back to last season, 21 of his 35 home runs have been hit on the road.

Starter-turn-reliever Antonio Senzatela pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings and has not been scored upon in five outings. He allowed two hits, walked none, and struck out three.

Who’s not: Lorenzen’s struggles continued. He pitched just 2 2/3 innings, and although he was only charged with two earned runs, the Astros plated seven runs against him, including a solo home run by Christian Walker in the second. Lorenzen, who has an 8.10 ERA, was called for a balk in the Astros’ six-run third inning.

Castro not only committed two costly errors in Houston’s big inning and also went 0 for 4 at the plate with three strikeouts. Castro’s strikeout rate is 41.4%.

Worth noting: Left-hander Kyle Freeland, who was a late scratch on Sunday because of a sore shoulder, continues to be evaluated. Manager Warren Scheaffer told reporters in Houston that the club hopes to have an update on Freeland on Wednesday.

Pitching probables

Wednesday: Rockies LHP Jose Quintana (0-0, 4.15 ERA) at Astros TBD, 6:10 p.m.

Thursday: Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (1-0, 2.16) at Astros RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (1-0, 5.87), 6:10 p.m.

Friday: Dodgers RHP Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 4.00) at Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-1, 7:30), 6:40 p.m.

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA NewsRadio 850 AM & 94.1 FM;

It’s the revamped Rockies’ catchy slogan for the 2026 season. But getting swept by the Padres in San Diego illustrated just how steep the climb is. Think Mount Everest.

The Padres finished off the four-game set with a 7-2 victory on Sunday afternoon at Petco Park. A quintet of San Diego pitchers limited the Rockies to two hits and struck out 12.

The game began ominously for the Rockies. Left-hander Kyle Freeland was scratched from his start when he felt tightness in his left shoulder during his pregame bullpen session. Officially, the Rockies called the injury left posterior shoulder soreness. Manager Warren Schaeffer called Freeland’s status “day to day.”

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"His shoulder just got tight, warming up," Schaeffer told reporters in San Diego. "He just couldn't go today, and it's going to be day to day. We'll look at him and see tomorrow. ... We'll have more information tomorrow."

San Diego right-hander Nick Pivetta was perfect for three innings, but he departed with right elbow stiffness. It didn't matter much on Sunday as the Padres pulled off just their second four-game sweep of Colorado in their history, the first since 1999.

Colorado was counting on Freeland to provide a lift. He was 1-1 with a solid 2.30 ERA after his first three starts. But when he couldn't go, the Rockies had to pitch a bullpen game, beginning with Jimmy Herget as the opener. Herget gave up one run in one inning, and Chase Dollander also gave up one run over one inning.

But the Padres teed off on right-hander Valente Bellozo, who gave up five runs on eight hits, including three home runs, over 4 1/3 innings. Bellozo also walked four.

Colorado's offense was a no-show, as it so often is on the road.

"We didn't swing at a lot of strikes early, and we put ourselves behind the eight-ball," Schaeffer said. "Not a lot of good counts for us (today). You can't win with (two) hits."

Catcher Brett Sullivan's two-run double in the fifth inning was the Rockies' first hit of the game and cut San Diego's lead to 3-2.

But the Padres promptly played Home Run Derby off Bellozo to put the game away. Ty France led off the Padres' fourth with a solo shot, Ramon Laureano ripped a two-run blast in the sixth, and Jackson Merrill led off the seventh with a homer.

Colorado's recent four-game winning streak has quickly faded because its offense remains anemic, especially away from Coors Field, where it's hitting .223 with a 28% strikeout rate.

The Padres' recent dominance illustrates how wide the talent gap is between the two teams. Since last season, the Padres have a 14-3 record against the Rockies, winning nine of the last 10. Since Aug. 3, 2024, San Diego's vs. Colorado at Petco Park is 12-1, with the Padres outscoring the Rockies 81-29 during that stretch.

The Rockies are off on Monday before beginning a three-game series at Houston on Tuesday. That's both good news and bad. The Rockies swept three games from the Astros to end their last homestand. However, the Rockies are 1-12 in Houston since 2019.

Pitching probables

Monday: Off day

Tuesday: Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (1-1, 8.36 ERA) at Astros TBD, 6:10 p.m.

Wednesday: Rockies TBD at Astros TBD, 6:10 p.m.

Thursday: Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (1-1, 2.16) at Astros TBD, 6:10 p.m.

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA NewsRadio 850 AM & 94.1 FM

Colorado (6-9) wasted an early 4-0 lead, walked seven Padres batters, and lost, 9-5, at Petco Park. Four of the seven walks turned into runs.

Three consecutive losses to the Padres have erased the feel-good vibes from Colorado’s four-game winning streak.

Key moments: The Rockies led 4-3 in the fourth when starter Ryan Feltner gave up a one-out double to Miguel Andujar, a walk to Freddy Fermin, and a two-out, three-run home run to Ramon Laureano.

Colorado loaded the bases in the ninth, but San Diego super closer Jason Adam got Ezequiel Tovar to pop out to second, ending the game. Adam has yet to give up a run this season.

Who’s hot: Mickey Moniak, who started in right field and hit third, hit a two-run homer in the first and a solo homer in the third. He also drove in Ezequiel Tovar with a single in the eighth for his fourth home run of the night. Moniak has a team-leading four home runs.

Leadoff hitter and second baseman Edouard Julien is hitting .344 after a 2-for-3 night that included a solo home run and two walks.

Jordan Beck continues struggling at the plate (0 for 3, his average down to .103), but he made a sensational, running, leaping catch in left field to rob the Padres’ Nick Castellanos of a three-run homer in the first inning.

Who’s not: Starting pitcher Ryan Feltner was not sharp. He fell behind in counts, and it cost him, especially in the third inning when Manny Machado ambushed Feltner’s 3-0 fastball for a two-run homer. Feltner gave up seven hits and six runs over four innings as his ERA rose to 7.30.

Right-handed reliever Zach Agnos walked three straight batters — and walked in a run — in the sixth. He was charged with three runs (two earned) in 1 1/3 innings. His ERA rose to 7.56.

Worth noting: Right-hander German Marquez, the former Rockies All-Star, started for San Diego. The Rockies beat him up pretty good, hitting three homers, but he hung around for five innings and picked up the win.

Pitching probables

Sunday: LHP Kyle Freeland (1-1, 2.30 ERA) at Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (1-2, 5.54), 2:10 p.m.

Monday: Off day

Tuesday: Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (1-1, 9.00) at Astros TBD, 6:10 p.m.

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA NewsRadio 850 AM & 94.1 FM

For that, the Denver native deserves to be knighted. Or at least have a medal pinned to his No. 21 jersey.

So says former Rockies starter Aaron Cook, who toiled at Coors from 2002-11 and is second on the Coors Field list with 104 career starts.

“Hell yeah, he deserves a badge of honor,” Cook said while driving through Texas cattle country south of San Antonio. “I was there for the better part of 10 years, so for Kyle to do what he’s done? For that long? Hell yeah, he deserves a medal.”

Freeland, who turns 33 on May 14, is off to a strong start this season. Heading into his scheduled start on Sunday in San Diego, he’s 1-1 with a 2.30 ERA after three outings. Last Tuesday night, pitching on the ninth anniversary of his major league debut, Freeland allowed just one run on three hits over 6 1/3 innings.

Freeland carries battle scars from the toil and trouble of pitching in LoDo, but that’s not what he likes to talk about.

“I’m very proud of being with one organization for my entire career,” Freeland said. “One, that’s a feat in and of itself. Two, to do it in the hardest park in the majors is its own thing.”

Jason Jennings is the only Rockies player to win National League Rookie of the Year, doing so in 2002 at age 22. In that rookie season, the right-hander made 32 starts and finished 16-8 with a 4.52 ERA.

Jennings had his ups and downs in Colorado before he was traded to Houston after the 2006 season. But even in that final season with the Rockies, Jennings was an effective pitcher, making 32 starts, pitching a career-high 212 innings, and posting a 3.78 ERA.

Today, however, Jennings marvels at Freeland’s toughness and staying power.

“I don’t even think about the pitching aspect of Colorado,” he said. “You have to be so mentally and physically tough. It’s so hard on the mind, so hard to recover. And he has done it for so long.

“It’s a whole different animal. The grind of taking the ball every fifth day, surviving some really tough seasons, surviving Coors Field, it is really impressive. You don’t see many guys last 10 years in the league, let alone at Coors Field. Most guys, after four or five years, it is like, ‘Get me the heck out of here.’ ”

Cook, who spent a week at spring training this year working with Colorado’s minor league pitchers, said that baseball at altitude presents a plethora of problems for pitchers, including:

• Adjusting pitching sights at Coors Field after returning from a road trip. That is, adjusting their mental focus on a specific, small target, like a catcher’s mitt or shoulder, to guide their pitch movement and improve command.

• Realizing that there are going to be games at Coors when you’re going to get shelled, but also realizing that as long as you were one run better than the other guy, you’d done your job — inflated ERA be damned.

• Understanding that the huge outfield can turn a small-scoring inning into a blowout inning in a hurry.

However, Cook said it was the wear and tear, both physically and mentally, that was the hardest thing for him to deal with.

“Listen, I never said anything about Coors Field when I was playing there because I would never give merit to anything outside of my control,” he said. “But now that I’m 15 years removed from it, I can say, Coors Field is not an easy place to pitch. Period.

“But, for me, the hardest part, really, was the recovery. If I had to make two starts on the same homestand, I felt like I had made two starts in three days. It wasn’t just my arm or my legs; it was my whole body. Full fatigue. The mental part fatigues you, too. It just drains you, drains you, drains you.”

Former Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd struggled every year trying to figure out how to make starting pitchers effective — and keep them healthy.

“We have found that every starter who has pitched here for 185 to 200 innings for three consecutive years over the lifetime of this franchise has broken down with a significant injury,” O’Dowd told The Post in 2012. “That inability to keep pitchers healthy has been one of our biggest struggles. We have to find a way to change that.”

The current Rockies regime is giving it a go. Paul DePodesta (the new president of baseball operations), a slew of new pitching coaches and coordinators, and manager Warren Schaeffer, are trying to solve the issue by using several long relievers and employing occasional “openers” to start games. The club also plans to limit the number of times a starter takes the mound during a homestand.

“It’s not a hard plan, but if we can avoid (starting a pitcher) twice, we would like to,” Schaeffer said. “It all depends on our schedule and if the availability of the bullpen allows it.  All the numbers show a huge spike in ERA the second time. It just makes sense to try and avoid it.”

Freeland is in the final year of his contract, with a vesting player option. Veteran right-hander Antonio Senzatela, who is now a reliever after struggling as a starter last season, is also in the final year of his contract. Like Freeland, Senzatela made his major league debut in 2017, but injuries (a torn ACL, Tommy John surgery) have limited Senzatela to 145 career starts.

“Speaking for myself and ‘Senza,’ this place isn’t easy, and it can break you down,” Freeland said. “But it shows the kind of people and pitchers that we are, that we are willing to take on that brute force and try to win games here in Colorado.”

Freeland is making $16 million this season and can activate his $17 million option with Colorado for 2027 if he pitches 170 innings. He’s pitched at least 170 innings twice, in 2018 (202 1/3) and in 2022 (174 2/3), but he came close in 2025 (162 2/3).

Though Freeland’s best season was in ’18, when he went 17-7 with a 2.85 ERA for Colorado’s last playoff team, he says he’s better equipped now to endure the rigors of Coors Field.

“One thing I learned when I was younger, from veterans like Tyler Chatwood, is that you have to take care of your body,” Freeland said. “You have to listen to your body. Get in the training room. If something is bugging you, take care of it right away. Because in Colorado, things are going to spiral a lot faster with injuries than they would at sea level. Injuries are worse here, too.”

Now, it’s the young guns like right-hander Chase Dollander who come to Freeland for survival tips.

“Guys ask me all the time, ‘What are the secrets to pitching in Colorado?’ ” Freeland said. “I say, ‘Sleep and drink as much water as you possibly can.’ Those are the two things that you have to take care of.”

Freeland wears his 117 Coors Field starts like a badge of honor, but that’s not what he celebrates most.

“Being here — for 10 years — is the thing I’m most proud of,” he said. “Being able to do it with my hometown team, and to stay with one team — something very rare in this age — that makes me so proud.

“I mean, looking back, 10-year-old Kyle would say that there is no chance. It’s the coolest thing for me to say that I spent 10 seasons with the Colorado Rockies, the team that I grew up with. This team was born in 1993, the same year that I was born.

“I got to know two Rockies Hall of Famers — Larry Walker and Todd Helton. I would say that’s all pretty cool.”

It happened again Friday night in a 5-2 walk-off loss to the Padres. Gavin Sheets ripped a three-run home run to deep center off reliever Juan Mejia in the ninth.

On Thursday, Colorado lost 7-3 in 12 innings when Xander Bogaerts hit a walk-off grand slam off right-hander Valente Bellozo. The Rockies’ second straight gut-punch loss in San Diego took considerable shine off their recent four-game winning streak.

Key moments: Mejia entered the ninth with the game tied 2-2, but he gave up a leadoff single to Jackson Merrill and walked Manny Machado to put himself in deep trouble. Bogaerts flew out to deep right field for the first out, but Sheets destroyed Mejia’s 1-0 fastball to win the game.

Colorado tied the game, 2-2, in the eighth on a redemption hit by Jordan Beck. After getting picked off second base in the seventh, Beck came back to deliver. Still, he’s in a deep early-season slump, is hitting just .115.

Who’s hot:  Starter Tomoyuki Sugano pitched six innings, allowing just four hits and no walks. However, he did give up solo home runs to Sheets and Luis Campusano in the fifth when the Padres took a 2-0 lead. After three starts, the veteran right-hander owns a 2.16 ERA.

Who’s not: Third baseman Kyle Karros continues to scuffle at the plate. He went 0 for 3, dipping his average to .205.

Worth noting: Catcher Hunter Goodman, whose right middle finger was lacerated by a hit by pitch on Thursday night, did not start Friday. However, he came through with a pinch-hit single in the eighth to push across Colorado’s first run.

Pitching probables

Saturday: Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-0, 4.32 ERA) at Padres RHP German Marquez (1-1, 4.50), 6:40 p.m.

Sunday: Sunday: LHP Kyle Freeland (1-1, 2.30) at Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (1-2, 5.54), 2:10 p.m.

Monday: Off day

Xander Bogaerts hit a walk-off grand slam off right-hander Valente Bellozo to win the extra-inning chess match and halt Colorado’s four-game winning streak.

With ghost runner Jake Cronenworth perched on third with one out, Colorado intentionally walked Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado to load the bases, hoping to get a double play and send the game into the 13th inning. Instead, Bogaerts ripped Bellozo’s 1-0 sinker deep into the left-field seats.

Key moment: Aside from Bogaerts’ slam, the game’s tipping point came in the top of the 12th with ghost runner Willi Castro on third and one out. Brenton Doyle hit a hot shot to second baseman Jake Cronenworth, who made a perfect throw to nail Castro at home for the second out. Kyle Karros grounded out to short to end the inning.

Who’s hot: Doyle, who entered the game hitting .139, finally looked comfortable at the plate. He hit a 408-foot solo homer to center in the third to give the Rockies a 1-0 lead. Doyle added a sharp single in the fifth.

Right-handed reliever Jimmy Herget, who started the game as an opener, pitched a perfect first inning. Through six appearances, Herget has a 1.29 ERA.

Right-hander Chase Dollander followed Herget and pitched 4 1/3 innings. He gave up one run in the third, but was charged with just four hits, while walking one and striking out three.

Who’s not: Castro, who got the start at third base, struck out five times in five at-bats, and his early-season average tumbled to .222.

Worth noting: Starting catcher Hunter Goodman left the game in the sixth inning after getting hit by a pitch. Goodman tried to stay in the game, but his finger was bleeding. Manager Warren Schaeffer said that although Goodman suffered a laceration to the right middle finger, X-rays were negative. The Rockies hope that Goodman won’t miss much time.

Pitching probables

Friday: Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (1-0, 1.69) at Padres RHP Walker Beuhler (0-1, 9.45), 7:40 p.m.

Saturday: Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-0, 4.32) at Padres RHP German Marquez (1-1, 4.50), 6:40 p.m.

Sunday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-1, 2.30) at Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (1-2, 5.54), 2:10 p.m.

Monday: Off day.

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM

Playing push-the-envelope baseball, combined with solid pitching and timely hitting, the Rockies beat the Astros 9-1 on Wednesday afternoon at Coors Field to polish off the three-game sweep. Last season, en route to 119 losses, the Rockies managed one sweep, taking three games in Miami from June 2-4.

And get this: The heretofore swing-happy Rockies had more walks (nine) than strikeouts (seven) for the first time since July 1, 2024, vs. Milwaukee, when they walked five times and struck out four times.

“We are playing in a ballpark that is like no other, right?” said All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman, who smacked a bonus solo home run in the fourth inning. “So, getting guys on base and in scoring position is huge. We’ve been doing that. When you get guys on base, you are going to score a lot of runs here.”

The irony here is that Wednesday’s announced crowd was 15,189, marking the lowest home attendance in franchise history, excluding pandemic-affected seasons. The previous low crowd came on Monday night, with an announced crowd of 16,301.

Starter Michael Lorenzen rebounded from his debacle against the Phillies in last Friday’s home opener — nine runs allowed on 12 hits, including two homers over three innings — to turn in a quality start. He allowed one run on seven hits across 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four, walked two, and sliced his ERA from 14.73 to 9.00.

Lorenzen credited the Rockies’ pitching coaches and analytics team for the turnaround.

“We have some smart people here, and we all put our heads together and tried to figure it out,” he said. “I have a lot of good data from today that we can build off of. It’s not all there yet, but it’s a good, good start.”

Manager Warren Schaeffer said he never doubted that Lorenzen would produce. Colorado signed the veteran right-hander to a one-year, $8 million contract that includes a $9 million club option for 2027. The Rockies need him to deliver.

“He located better today, and he had all of his pitches working,” Schaeffer said. “He was getting ahead in counts. He was big for us today … saving our bullpen.”

Colorado’s five-run second inning was a prime example of the Go-Go Rox style of baseball that Schaeffer has been preaching since spring training.

“That (inning) was fundamentally sound, with sac bunts involved, base-hit bunts involved, and sac flies involved,” Schaeffer said. “We were taking our walks — some really, really tough walks today.

“That’s what we want to do. We want to pass the baton; we want to execute with runners on third with less than two outs. That was very good today.”

The Rockies sent 10 men to the plate in the second, beginning with a leadoff double by Troy Johnston. Included in the track meet were a two-run single by Edoward Julien, a bunt single by Brenton Doyle, an RBI double by Ezequiel Tovar, a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Freeman, a sacrifice fly by Mickey Moniak, three walks, and two stolen bases.

Julien, who’s taking over the leadoff spot, went 5 for 12 with four RBIs during the three-game set.

Lorenzen wasn’t the only pitcher to rebound on Wednesday. Right-hander reliever Zach Agnos, who had allowed 11 hits combined over his last two outings and owned a 12.27 ERA coming in, pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings, giving up one hit and striking out two.

“It started with (Lorenezen) today, but I just went out there and attacked the zone today,” Agnos said. “Pitching, like hitting, can be contagious. People have picked me up plenty of times, so it was fun to be able to pick them up.”

His biggest moment came in the sixth inning when he relieved Lorenzen with two outs and the bases loaded. He got Christian Vasquez to ground out to third.

“With the way we are playing, you want to get in on the fun,” Agnos said.

The Rockies take their momentum on the road beginning Thursday night when they open a four-game series against the Padres in San Diego.

“The attitude of this club is, every day, no matter where we are, we want to play good baseball,” Schaeffer said. “We are not going to make it a thing and worry about the road as opposed to home. We are just going to go to San Diego tomorrow and try to play a really good baseball game.”

Rolling Rox

The Rockies won their fourth consecutive game and completed a three-game sweep of the Astros on Wednesday. Not a big deal for most teams, but it was for the Rockies, who:
• Captured their first sweep at Coors Field since May 10-12, 2024, vs. the Rangers.
• Won a home series in April. Last season, they didn’t want their first home series until taking two of three from the Twins on July 18-20.
• Improved to 6-6, the latest in the season they’ve been .500 since 2022, when they were 17-17 on May 15.
• Have won four straight games, matching their longest winning streak of 2025, which they did twice.

Pitching probables

Thursday: Rockies TBD (opener) at Padres RHP at RHP Randy Vasquez (1-0, 0.75 ERA), 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.

Saturday: Rockies RHP Ryan Feltner (1-0, 4.32) at Padres RHP German Marquez (1-1, 4.50), 6:40 p.m.

Sunday: Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (1-1, 2.30) at Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (1-2, 5.54), 2:10 p.m.

TV: Rockies.TV

Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM