After the Rockies and Giants combined for 37 runs in the first two games of the series, Saturday’s matchup at Coors Field had many of the trappings of a pitcher’s duel. Fitting, considering it was the 40th time (39 starts) Giants starter Matt Cain (3-6, 5.11 ERA) faced the Colorado Rockies. It was Kyle Freeland (8-4, 3.42), however, making just his second career start against San Francisco, who walked away the victor. The Rockies scored each of their five runs with two outs to win their fourth consecutive game overall and third in the four-game series with San Francisco.
Freeland was not at his best on Saturday afternoon, allowing just one run on eight hits and two walks (one intentional) over six innings. Still, the rookie left-hander managed to avoid serious damage despite having runners on base in every inning. Scott Oberg allowed a two-out hit, but nothing more, in the seventh inning. Adam Ottavino looked sharp in the eighth, retiring the Giants in order, striking out two. Jake McGee issued a one-out walk in the ninth to Kelby Tomlinson, but Mark Reynolds snared a line drive from Joe Panik to double up Tomlinson at first and end the game.
On offense, the Rockies came up with clutch hit after clutch hit. In fact 11 of their 14 hits in the game came with two outs. Tony Wolters was particularly clutch for Colorado with a pair of two-out RBI singles, one in the second inning to open the scoring and another in the seventh to put Colorado up 4-1 at the time. Pat Valaika had a pinch-hit double to follow Wolters in the seventh. Ian Desmond and Trevor Story each had a pair of hits in the win. The only real smudge on the game was an error by Nolan Arenado, his first of the season. The four-time Gold Glove winner had appeared in 68 prior games defensively this season without an error. He made up for it with an RBI single in the sixth.
The Rockies matched the Houston Astros (who host Boston on Saturday evening) with their 45th win of the season, the most in baseball. With the win, Colorado ensures another series victory and improves their record against the Giants to 9-1 this season. They will go for a sweep on Sunday with Tyler Chatwood (6-7, 4.16) on the mound. Ty Blach (4-4, 4.24) will make his first start in his hometown ballpark for San Francisco.
