DENVER -- Lefty pitcher Kyle Freeland is embracing all the challenges, adjustments and, ultimately, good nights that end up bad that this season is throwing the Rockies’ way.
The 10-7 loss to the Giants at Coors Field on Wednesday night ended with more frustration, with a late lead vaporizing for the second straight night.
But Freeland held on to his accomplishments. He also increased his faith that the good he saw in the Rockies -- 12-55 and tied with the 1904 Senators and 1932 Red Sox for the worst after 67 decisions in the Modern Era (since 1900) -- will eventually result in victories.
Freeland’s night started with a walk and a two-run homer yielded to the Giants’ Willy Adames. But like his season as a whole, which has seen him go from shaky to highly effective, Freeland switched his strategy and held the Giants to one additional run in six innings and left with a 6-3 lead. It was his seventh quality start of the season, including his third straight and fifth in his last eight outings.
The Giants challenged him to go away from what he does best. He did it, happily and effectively.
“My fastball has played a big part,” Freeland said. “Obviously, I’m going to spin the baseball a lot to a lineup. Everyone in the league knows that, especially in the NL West. Being able to spot my fastball, work it in and out, then use my spin to my advantage has helped me. It’s a game of adjustments.
“Tonight, I had to make an adjustment. They seemed like all they wanted was fastballs and cutters, and I had trouble landing my breakers. So I almost had to feed into their game plan to get back.”
Freeland struggled until a third inning, which started with a Jung Hoo Lee triple and a one-out Heliot Ramos double. But Freeland cruised from there and finished his outing with five strikeouts, against six hits and two walks.
“You hate to keep saying something over and over, but it’s true -- Kyle Freeland competes,” manager Warren Schaeffer said. “He knows how to adjust on the fly, and he did that tonight. He gave us a quality start -- six innings -- with a big double-play ball in the sixth.”
The no-decision meant Freeland’s record remained 1-8, with the win coming in a quality effort at Miami in his last start and the Rockies having won just one other game that he started. But the Rockies lose a lot of games. Freeland just rarely is the reason. He went into Wednesday ranking 41st in MLB in pitching wins above replacement, per FanGraphs -- despite the historically poor team record.
Like Tuesday’s 6-5 loss that flipped in the ninth, there was solid offense from Hunter Goodman (two doubles and a homer) and steady scoring throughout the game and down the batting order, plus a solid seventh from Juan Mejia before the Giants rallied primarily against relievers Tyler Kinley and Zach Agnos (who also struggled Tuesday).
Freeland broke out of his rough stretch -- fewer than five innings in three of four starts in late April and early May. He’s all-in to support other Rockies in the same effort.
“Winning is tough,” he said. “But it’s teaching these young guys how to win at the big league level and how to piece together a game, regardless how it’s going. It’s getting in the mindset late in the game, that we have to complete this game.”
This season, Freeland has accomplished career bests in strikeout-to-walk rate (3.80) and walks per nine innings (1.83). His homers per nine (0.98) tie 2017 and 2022 for a career high, and his strikeouts per nine (6.96) are his highest since 2021.
It’s the type of production that could attract another club to try to acquire him from the Rockies -- who look as if they could do well to deal desirable players to increase talent in multiple areas. General manager Bill Schmidt and front-office officials have met this week to discuss strategies in advance of the July 31 Trade Deadline.
Freeland, 31, who is signed through 2026 but has a vesting option for 2027, doesn’t have no-trade rights. But he’s a Denver native who has privately and publicly stated he wants to correct things in Denver.
“Me and Schmidt have a good rapport, and that has not been a conversation,” Freeland said. “That thought is so far out of my mind. I’m focused on trying to get us right and start winning ballgames so we can gain momentum, start feeling better about ourselves.”