The Colorado Rockies didn’t end the postseason hopes of the Seattle Mariners over the weekend, but they could help eliminate the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks when the teams open a three-game series Tuesday night in Denver.
Diamondbacks righty Michael Soroka (8-5, 3.45 ERA) is on the mound against Colorado lefty Kyle Freeland (4-10, 6.38), who could be making his final home start for the team he grew up watching.
Seattle took two of three from the Rockies and left town with slim postseason hopes, and now Arizona (82-74) arrives with its own playoff chances hanging by a thread. The D-backs trail Philadelphia by four games and the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres by five with six remaining, meaning a loss to the Rockies and a Phillies victory would eliminate Arizona.
“I’m definitely peeking. I think we’re all peeking,” said Nolan Arenado of the out-of-town scoreboard. “We lead the major leagues in comeback wins — I don’t know if that’s the one you want to be No. 1 in — but I think it’s pretty cool in the sense that we don’t quit and we continue to fight to the end.”
Arenado got to the postseason twice with Colorado — in 2017 and 2018 — and two more times with St. Louis before joining the D-backs this season. He kept Arizona alive Sunday with a go-ahead grand slam in an 8-4 win over the New York Yankees.
Soroka is tasked with keeping the momentum going Tuesday night. He has faced the Rockies five times — four starts — and is 1-2 with a 2.08 ERA in those outings.
Colorado (57-99) begins its final home series of the season and needs to do something it hasn’t done all year to avoid another 100-loss season — win six straight games. The Rockies’ longest winning streak this season was four, and that happened in the first week of April. They have not won more than two games in a row since mid-August and are 8-26 since.
Freeland, who is slated to make his 25th start of the season, is a free agent after this season and might not be part of the Rockies’ future plans. Colorado has infused young talent into the lineup, but its pitching staff has been the worst in the majors for four consecutive seasons.
The Denver native acknowledged before the trade deadline that his tenure with his hometown organization could be nearing its end.
“I don’t believe I’m going to be part of the organization moving forward, and I understand that,” he said in August.
Freeland has had some good moments in yet another disappointing season. He started well, posting a 3.48 ERA through April, and tossed his first career complete game against Kansas City on Aug. 2. He is also the team’s Roberto Clemente Award nominee.
If Tuesday night is his final game at Coors Field wearing the Colorado purple, he can make it memorable with a good outing against Arizona. He has faced the D-backs 23 times in his 10 years — all starts — and is 4-10 with a 6.28 ERA in those starts.
–Field Level Media
