SAN FRANCISCO -- Growing up in Denver, Kyle Freeland didn’t give much thought to ever pitching for the Rockies, let alone taking up a slot in their history books.
Nine years into his Major League career, that’s exactly where the veteran left-hander is.
Freeland made his 207th career start on Thursday at Oracle Park, pitching six strong innings in Colorado’s 4-3 win over the San Francisco Giants. He left without a decision for the third time in seven starts this season.
“I thought he threw the ball well,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “The breaking ball became a factor. He started finding the release point for the breaking ball, got some strikeouts down in the zone. And he pitched in a little bit more effectively, too. He had to because [Justin] Verlander pitched well.”
Verlander, the three-time Cy Young Award winner, pitched effectively into the seventh inning before three Giants relievers combined to finish the eight-hitter.
The Rockies didn’t get much going off Verlander until Ryan McMahon snapped a 2-for-59 funk with a 400-foot blast in the seventh.
Before then, Colorado’s starting pitcher was the best thing going.
Freeland worked around a game-opening home run to Heliot Ramos and a small blister that formed mid-game, allowing three runs and seven hits over six innings.
That propelled him into the Rockies’ history books. Freeland has made more starts than any pitcher for a club he grew up idolizing.
“Growing up as kid in Denver [I] never even thought I’d be playing for the Rockies let alone being at the top of a lot of the leaderboards with this organization," Freeland said. "I wear that with honor, being able to be a part of this organization for so long, to be able to create those milestones for myself. I couldn’t do it without my teammates and family around me.
“It’s truly an accomplishment that I’m able to be very happy about. [I can] look back at how long of a career I’ve had so far at this point, and know that I’ve done a lot of good things with this organization, and hope to continue to do them.”
When Black removed the 31-year-old southpaw, the Rockies trailed, 3-1. Ten minutes later, following an RBI double from Jordan Beck and a two-out RBI single by Hunter Goodman in the eighth inning, the Rockies were in front on their way to posting back-to-back victories for the first time this season.
Unfortunately for Freeland, he didn’t factor in the decision and is still searching for that elusive "W," which will be his first since last September.
“I thought overall he did what he needed to do,” Black said. “He kept us in the game, albeit he left when we were trailing.”
Brenton Doyle, Jordan Beck and Alan Trejo had two hits apiece for Colorado.
Angel Chivilli followed Freeland and retired four batters. Scott Alexander set down two before Zach Agnos worked the ninth for his second save.
Colorado’s win was just its second in 15 road games this season.