The Colorado Rockies entered Wednesday with an opportunity to sweep a three-game series from the National League West rival San Francisco Giants and gain ground on one of their pursuers in the Wild Card. The Rockies were looking to build off their momentum from the previous two nights but instead reverted back to their struggles, losing by a final score of 11-3.
Starting pitcher Kyle Freeland was off his mark from the get-go. The Giants jumped on Freeland early, flooding the basepaths and scoring two runs in the first inning. Freeland was unable to settle in on the mound throughout his start, and after the Giants tacked on three more runs in the fourth inning, Freeland’s night was over.
Freeland’s final line sat at just 3.1 innings pitched, allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks. It was the shortest outing for Freeland this season outside of his injury-shortened start at the beginning of August.
The bullpen was not much better, as the Giants managed to score three runs apiece off both Jeff Hoffman and Shane Carle.
After a successful night at the plate Tuesday, the Rockies bats returned to their struggles scoring only three runs on eight hits. Carlos Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon, and Gerardo Parra all drove in runs for the Rockies, but other than those three, the Rockies were silent at the dish.
Wednesday’s loss was certainly a disappointing one. A sweep of the Giants would have been huge for the postseason-hunting Rockies who are still fighting to separate themselves from the pack in the NL.
Between a critical series sweep at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks and losing the finale against the struggling Giants, the club’s nine-game homestand could not have been more underwhelming, especially for a team looking to make the postseason for the first time in a decade.
Colorado now packs their bags and hits the road for a crucial eight-game road trip against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks beginning Thursday.
