Rockies' Kyle Freeland: Strikes out seven in six innings

Freeland didn't factor into the decision Friday against the Rays, striking out seven and giving up two hits across six scoreless innings.

Freeland needed just 67 pitches to record 18 outs but was pulled after six innings as he builds up his pitch at the start of the season. The left-hander attacked the strike zone with 53 of his 67 offerings going for strikes. Freeland would like to forget his 2024 campaign in which he produced a bloated 5.24 ERA (his highest since 2019), and this was a great way to begin. His bullpen let him down late, however, costing him the win as the Rockies fell 3-2. Freeland is tentatively lined up for a tough matchup on the road at Philadelphia next week.