Freeland earns Rox-record 4th Opening Day nod: 'He was our guy'
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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Lefty Kyle Freeland will make his Rockies-record fourth Opening Day start on March 28 against the Rays in Tampa, Fla., Rockies manager Bud Black announced Sunday.
¡°His total commitment to the organization and how he¡¯s throwing the ball this spring, it¡¯s a situation where, for us, he was our guy to take the ball,¡± Black said.
Freeland, 31, will surpass current rotation mate Germ¨¢n M¨¢rquez in Rox Opening Day assignments. The pair have started every Rockies opener since 2019, with Freeland having done it in 2019, ¡®22 and ¡®24, and M¨¢rquez receiving the assignment in ¡®20, ¡®21 and ¡®23.
¡°Whenever you get called into Buddy's office in a situation like this, you know, you start getting those butterflies and start getting excited,¡± Freeland said. ¡°You pretty much know the news is coming, and it's really cool. I¡¯ve been with Bud nine years now, and he's been able to name me four times as the Opening Day starter.¡±
The announcement comes during a mostly solid spring from Freeland, although Sunday was tough in a 10-2 loss against the Royals at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Freeland gave up seven earned runs in the Royals¡¯ eight-run second inning. He ended up tossing 4 1/3 innings, allowing five hits and striking out five. He¡¯s now struck out 13 in his past two outings.
¡°I was fighting my mechanics in the bullpen and was able to skate by in the first inning,¡± Freeland said. ¡°And the second inning unraveled on me with my mechanics. That'll happen.
¡°But [Black] pulled me after all that happened in the second inning. I was sitting in the dugout to kind of collect myself, get my cues. ¡®OK, this is what I need to work on.¡¯ Sure enough, those cues worked.¡±
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This spring, Freeland has added one secondary pitch, a true slider, and changed the name of another -- with what was called a slider last year now being called a cutter. He also has a solid fastball and a changeup, which has taken work but became a solid pitch, to complete his mix.
¡°He¡¯s worked so hard over the years to find a good changeup,¡± Black said. ¡°He¡¯s a veteran. Like all pitchers, he¡¯s been very diligent on wanting to improve his game -- like all great players do. They want to consistently improve and work. That¡¯s what he¡¯s done. He continues to evolve as a pitcher.¡±
For all anyone knows, Sunday¡¯s struggle against the Royals could be a good omen.
No one wants to have a bad outing, and last spring he didn¡¯t have one. He went 2-0 with a 2.37 ERA in five Cactus League starts, striking out 16 in 19 innings. Then he began the regular season at Arizona and gave up 10 runs in 2 1/3 innings. It was the start of a slow start in which he posted a 13.21 ERA in four starts before going to the injured list with a left elbow strain. But after returning in late June, Freeland posted a 3.96 ERA in 17 starts for the rest of the season.
Martini leaves with wrist injury
Veteran non-roster invitee Nick Martini went 1-for-1 against the Royals to raise his batting average to .406, but left the game after being hit by a pitch from Royals lefty Angel Zerpa. Martini was removed from the game and sent for X-rays, but those came back negative.