Record Night, Team Defeat
Kyle Freeland Sets Rockies Innings Record as Team Suffers Sweep to Brewers
Kyle Freeland became the Colorado Rockies’ all-time leader in innings pitched on Sunday at Coors Field, passing Aaron Cook when he recorded an out in the fifth inning to reach 1,312 2/3 career innings. The 33-year-old lefty, a Denver-area native who has spent his entire MLB career with Colorado, was recognized by the home crowd with an ovation as he tipped his cap after the franchise-record graphic went up. However, the milestone was overshadowed by a rough day for the Rockies, who fell 12-4 and were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers after leading 3-1 into the sixth. Multiple reports described Freeland’s outing as solid early, followed by Colorado’s collapse in the sixth as Milwaukee scored 11 more runs to close out the series. The record also underscores Freeland’s long tenure and durability, coming during the final stretch of a contract extension signed in 2022 that runs through 2026 and includes a 2027 player option tied to innings. Despite the personal achievement, Colorado’s season remains headed toward another difficult outcome, with the team now deep in the standings.
Key Points
Freeland said the scoreboard moment brought up former Rockies manager Buddy Black, who told him, “make sure you tip your cap to the crowd,” and Freeland added he also tipped his cap to “my family.”
The game’s unraveling began with a drawn-out second inning: a 10-pitch battle with Andrew Vaughn ended in a single, with Vaughn later scoring on a double by Luis Rengifo before Freeland worked out the inning by getting a grounder from Blake Perkins. Freeland then threw three scoreless frames before a brief sixth (just seven more pitches) helped trigger the Brewers’ big inning.
The Rockies’ broader skid was tied to the milestone night: they dropped to 24-42 and were “on pace to lose 103 games,” falling 18 games below .500 for the first time this season; the team also lost 15 of its last 21 home games.
Despite the long-term milestone, Freeland’s stat line in the loss was modest in the box score: he pitched five innings, allowing three earned runs on seven hits, with one walk and two strikeouts.
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