Freeland leaves with cramp in Rockies’ shutout win over Pirates

Kyle Freeland isn’t snake-bit, but that seems to the only injury he’s avoided over the last few seasons after leaving Monday’s start with a cramp in his right hamstring that he suffered while running the base in the Rockies’ eventual 2-0 win. Freeland earned the win nevertheless — his first of the season — by throwing five scoreless innings and striking out seven Pirates in the process.

Freeland, 28, was 28-18 in his first two seasons in the majors, including a 17-win campaign in 2018. Ever since then, Freeland is 6-16 as a litany of injuries kept him off the field, and issues with control eventually required a return to the minors. The southpaw starter missed the first two months of this season, but is convinced that this injury is minor.

“It was a bit of bad luck rounding second — I felt it a little bit,” the pitcher said. “But it happens. Thankfully, it wasn’t horrible.”

On the bright side, Freeland has pitched the best back-to-back starts in years, giving up only a single run and eight hits over 11 innings against the Mariners and Pirates while striking out 14 and walking only two.

“It’s definitely a breath of fresh air to pitch the way that I want to pitch, execute the things that I want to execute, be on the same page with the catcher behind the plate that day,” Freeland said. “It’s nice to get the breathing room to get that feeling back. This is very fun for me, as opposed to grinding through things out there; giving up weak hits, giving up home runs, struggling for your team. Nobody wants that.”

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NEXT UP: Rockies (32-47, 4th in NL West) vs. Pirates (29-48, 5th in NL Central) | Tuesday, Jun. 29 at 6:40 p.m. | COL: German Marquez (6-6, 3.99 ERA) vs. MIL: Chase De Jong (0-2, 4.94 ERA)

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NOTES

• Trevor Story will participate in the Home Run Derby at Coors Field during the All-Star Break, joining Mets slugger Pete Alonso and two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani of the Angels. “There’s always that childhood aspect to it, no doubt,” Story said, explaining his desire to take part in the showcase event. “I want to embrace that. That’s a special part of our game. I remember as a kid watching the Derby. I was always so amazed by the performances that were put on. It was something that I was always looking forward to, and I never missed it.” Story has nine home runs this season, but hit 37 and 35 in the 2018 and 2019 seasons, respectively.

• Attendance restrictions have been lifted at Coors Field, and so the Rockies termed Monday’s matinee “Opening Day 2.0,” complete with all the pomp and circumstance one would expect. Unlike the team’s usual season openers, only 32,092 were in the house to watch the Rockies shut Pittsburgh out on Monday.

• Yonathan Daza’s breakout season continued with a double, a triple and an RBI on Monday, raising his batting average to .325 on the season. Daza’s been even better within the friendly confines of Coors Field, where he’s on a 14-game hitting streak, going 23-for-58 (.397) with three doubles, two triples, a home run and 10 RBI over that span.

• Ben Bowden was recalled from triple-A Albuquerque to take the place of RP Robert Stephenson, who was placed on the injured list with an upper back strain. Bowden is 1-2 on the season with a 7.94 ERA.

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THE FINAL WORD

“We’ve watched Trevor grow up before our eyes the last five years since his rookie season of ’16. We’ve seen growth from Trevor in so many areas. Nationwide, the acclaim he’s gotten with a couple All-Star Games and just being talked about as one of the better players in the game — it’s all deserved.” — Rockies manager Bud Black, on Trevor Story’s inclusion in this summer’s Home Run Derby

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STARTING LINEUP

LF Raimel Tapia
CF Yonathan Daza
SS Trevor Story
RF Charlie Blackmon
1B C.J. Cron
2B Brendan Rodgers
3B Ryan McMahon
C Elias Diaz
SP Kyle Freeland

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INJURY WATCH

• Kyle Freeland (right hamstring cramp) left his Jun. 28 start. It’s hoped that he can make his next scheduled start.
• Austin Gomber (left forearm tightness) was placed on the 10-day IL after leaving his Jun. 19 start. He played catch on Jun. 28 in an effort to build toward throwing bullpen sessions, meaning that he likely won’t return until mid-July.
• Robert Stephenson (strained upper back) was placed on the 10-day IL on Jun. 28.
• Matt Adams (right elbow soreness) was injured during the Jun. 8 game and was placed on the 10-day IL on Jun. 9. He started taking batting practice on Jun. 26 and may be sent on a minor-league rehab assignment soon.
• Mychal Givens (strained lower back) was placed on the 10-day IL on Jun. 17. He’s expected to return in early July.
• Jordan Sheffield (torn right lat) was injured on Jun. 3 and was placed on the 10-day IL. He is expected to miss at least two months.
• Scott Oberg (blood clots) had surgery prior to the end of Spring Training. He was placed on the 60-day IL on Mar. 27 and his season is in doubt.

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Shawn Drotar is the host of “The Fan Late Night with Shawn Drotar;” weeknights from 10:00 p.m. to midnight — only on 104.3 The Fan

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