DENVER (AP) 鈥� After getting the final out in the eighth inning, Kyle Freeland walked off the field as fans behind the Colorado Rockies鈥� dugout gave the veteran left-hander a standing ovation.
As it turned out, his day wasn鈥檛 done quite yet, even as his time in Colorado may be coming to a close.
The 33-year-old pieced together one of the best starts of his career, giving up one run and striking out eight in his first major league complete game as on a scorching Sunday at Coors Field.
It came in his 251st career start. Heading into the day, Freeland was one of just two pitchers in major league history, along with Eduardo Rodriguez, with at least 250 career starts and no complete games.
It was the first complete game by a Rockies pitcher since June 27, 2022, when Chad Kuhl went the distance in a 4-0 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
It was only the third time in Freeland鈥檚 career that he had thrown at least eight innings.
鈥淗e鈥檚 been such an enormous presence in the clubhouse in the Rockies鈥� winning days and then through this lull we鈥檝e had in the past however many years, he鈥檚 been a constant leader in the clubhouse,鈥� Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said after the game. 鈥淭hrough thick and thin, which is the test of a real leader. Can you lead in distress? And he has. He鈥檚 meant the world to me as a first time manager. He鈥檚 been fantastic and I鈥檓 so happy for him today.鈥�
It has not been Freeland’s best season. He鈥檚 3-10 with a 6.81 ERA, 93 strikeouts and 23 walks.
鈥淚鈥檝e had a lot of starts this year where it was, 鈥楪osh, one thing here and one thing there and we鈥檙e sitting pretty,鈥欌�� Freeland said. 鈥淵ou look at my starts and it鈥檚 small things 鈥� if I would have executed better or if we had made this play, it would have been better. If I hadn鈥檛 walked this guy, I wouldn鈥檛 have let an inning snowball.”
Sunday’s win was only his second in his past 19 starts. The latest victory was the 68th of his Colorado career, tying him with Germ谩n M谩rquez for the third-most in franchise history.
While helping his team complete a three-game sweep of the Royals, Freeland retired 18 consecutive batters before allowing Salvador Perez’s double in the ninth inning. His stamina was even more impressive considering it came during the second-hottest home game in Rockies history. It was 99 degrees Fahrenheit at first pitch and in the top of the fifth inning, halfway through Freeland鈥檚 outing, the temperature on the field was 123 degrees.
The performance came as Freeland鈥檚 name has surfaced in trade speculation ahead of Monday’s trade deadline. The Denver native has spent each of his 10 major league seasons with the Rockies.
鈥淚n the back of your head, there is that thought of this could be potentially my last one here at home,鈥� Freeland said after the game. 鈥淲e鈥檒l see in the next 24 hours how all that unfolds.鈥�
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