Rockies Win, Freeland Makes History
Rockies Stage Late Comeback to Beat Pirates 4-3, Freeland Achieves 1,000th Strikeout
The Colorado Rockies survived a chaotic ninth inning to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 on Friday night at Coors Field, with pinch-hitter Braxton Fulford delivering the go-ahead two-run double in the eighth. Associated Press reported that Antonio Senzatela then escaped a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the ninth to seal the win before 33,596 fans.
The night belonged to starter Kyle Freeland, a Denver native who struck out Marcell Ozuna in the seventh inning for his 1,000th career strikeout. Yahoo Sports noted that Freeland is only the second pitcher in Rockies history to reach that milestone, joining Germán Márquez.
Freeland Joins Rockies History With 1,000th Strikeout
Freeland worked 7.1 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits with 8 strikeouts and 0 walks on just 81 pitches. When he fanned Ozuna in the seventh, the Denver crowd rose for a standing ovation. Associated Press confirmed it made Freeland only the second Rockie ever to hit 1,000 career strikeouts. He also recently passed Aaron Cook as the franchise's all-time innings leader, per Yahoo Sports.
"Being a Denver kid, it's kind of crazy," Freeland said afterward, per the Associated Press. "It's one of those things that I never would have thought I'd be standing here talking about." Manager Warren Schaeffer added: "To set a franchise record like that, it takes a lot of durability, a lot of resilience."
Pirates Steal the Lead in the Eighth, Then Lose It
The Rockies led 2-0 heading into the eighth, thanks to Willi Castro's RBI double in the third and TJ Rumfield's 427-foot solo home run in the fourth. Then Pittsburgh exploded. Jared Triolo doubled to make it 2-1. Bryan Reynolds singled to tie it. Nick Gonzales hit an RBI triple, and the Pirates led 3-2, per Yahoo Sports.
But Colorado answered right back. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Tyler Freeman and Cole Carrigg hit back-to-back singles off Mason Montgomery. Then Fulford — entering as a pinch-hitter for Sterlin Thompson — lined a two-run double to left-center. Associated Press reported the Rockies were back on top, 4-3.
Senzatela Escapes Bases-Loaded Ninth to Clinch the Win
The ninth inning looked like a disaster in the making. Senzatela gave up a leadoff single to Ozuna. An Ezequiel Tovar error put Brandon Lowe on base. Endy RodrÃguez walked to load the bases with nobody out. The Pirates had the tying run 90 feet away and their best hitters coming up, per Yahoo Sports.
Senzatela struck out pinch-hitter Tyler Callihan for the first out. Then Triolo grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game. Associated Press noted it was Senzatela's 10th save of the season, and he now holds a 7-0 record in 2026 as the team's primary high-leverage arm.
Pirates Drop to .500 as Big Offseason Bets Go Cold
The loss drops Pittsburgh to 38-38, exactly at .500. The Pirates entered 2026 with a record Opening Day payroll of over $102 million, adding Ozuna on a one-year, $12 million deal and acquiring Brandon Lowe from Tampa Bay. The goal was to support young ace Paul Skenes with veteran bats, per Associated Press.
Those bets look shaky right now. Ozuna — the man Freeland struck out for career strikeout No. 1,000 — is hitting just .193 on the season. Yahoo Sports noted the Rockies entered this game having won only 5 of their previous 40 games when trailing after seven innings, making the comeback all the more stunning.
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