DENVER -- Ever since he was a kid, Kyle Freeland dreamt of taking the mound at Coors Field for his hometown Colorado Rockies.
"It couldn't have gone any better," the 23-year-old left-hander said after winning his major league debut, 2-1 over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.
Freeland (1-0) gave up four hits with a pair of walks and struck out six, including the first batter up. He also singled off Hyun-Jin Ryu.
"That's another first to knock off: big league win, big league knock," Rockies manager Bud Black said. " ... The people of Denver should be very proud of their native son."
Freeland became the first starting pitcher to make his big league debut in his team's home opener in the state in which he was born since 1966.
The eighth overall pick of the 2014 draft, Freeland grew up not far from the Rockies ballpark and used to participate in pregame youth baseball parades around the warning track at Coors Field. Because his parents wouldn't let him skip school, this marked the first home opener he'd ever attended.
"I was trying to play it cool, that's for sure. Butterflies were definitely flying around in my stomach," Freeland said. "I had pregame jitters, especially for a home opener and my debut, but I tried my best to stay focused."
Freeland figures Friday's crowd of 49,169 was about 49,000 more than saw him the last time he pitched in Denver, during the playoffs his senior season at Thomas Jefferson High School in 2011.
Freeland came out early to soak in the atmosphere, then settled his nerves and went right to work, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the first and never really letting the Dodgers settle in. His only blemish was Enrique Hernandez's run-scoring groundout in the fourth.
"To say he had adrenaline today was an understatement," Rockies catcher Dustin Garneau said. "But it was almost a good thing that he had that bases-loaded jam when he had to pitch through that in the beginning to kind of get that adrenaline to kind of flush out of his system. Because after that, he really settled in and became Kyle Freeland, and you guys all saw it."
Black said he never sensed the moment getting too big for the 6-foot-4 rookie.
"I know he wasn't calm, but he looked calm," Black said, adding: "He was composed. He was great in between innings."
In between the lines, too.
BULLISH BULLPEN
Colorado's bullpen again came up big as Carlos Estevez and Scott Oberg each threw a scoreless inning before Jake McGee hit 98 mph and struck out the side in the ninth for his first save of the season.
This marked the second time in franchise history (April 28-29, 1995, at Houston) that the Rockies won back-to-back 2-1 games.
RYU'S RETURN
Ryu (0-1) came up short in his quest to win for the first time since Aug. 31, 2014. The Dodgers left-hander made just one start last season, on July 7, between stints on the DL because of left shoulder surgery and left elbow tendinitis.
"I didn't feel any discomfort or pain in my shoulder and elbow, which is always a great sign," Ryu said through a translator.
Ryu allowed two runs and six hits over 4 2/3 innings. He gave up an RBI single to Nolan Arenado in the first and a solo homer to Garneau off the left field foul pole to begin the fifth.
"You hold a team like that to two runs, you expect to win," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
HOME RARITY
Chuck Dobson of the Kansas City Athletics was the previous pitcher to debut by starting his hometown team's first home game, on April 19, 1966 against the Twins.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Dodgers: LHP Rich Hill was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand. RHP Josh Fields was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Rockies: The Rockies wanted RHP Chad Bettis to be on hand for opening day festivities, but he had to stay back in the Phoenix area, where he's receiving chemotherapy after doctors discovered his testicular cancer had spread to his lymph nodes last month.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw makes his second start of the season. Kershaw is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA.
Rockies: RHP Jon Gray makes his second start. He was the Rockies' opening day starter at Milwaukee last week and was cruising until a bad fifth inning sent him to the showers, leaving him with a no-decision and an 11.25 ERA.
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Follow Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton
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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
Los Angeles Dodgers
"It couldn't have gone any better," the 23-year-old left-hander said after winning his major league debut, 2-1 over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.
Freeland (1-0) gave up four hits with a pair of walks and struck out six, including the first batter up. He also singled off Hyun-Jin Ryu.
"That's another first to knock off: big league win, big league knock," Rockies manager Bud Black said. " ... The people of Denver should be very proud of their native son."
Freeland became the first starting pitcher to make his big league debut in his team's home opener in the state in which he was born since 1966.
The eighth overall pick of the 2014 draft, Freeland grew up not far from the Rockies ballpark and used to participate in pregame youth baseball parades around the warning track at Coors Field. Because his parents wouldn't let him skip school, this marked the first home opener he'd ever attended.
"I was trying to play it cool, that's for sure. Butterflies were definitely flying around in my stomach," Freeland said. "I had pregame jitters, especially for a home opener and my debut, but I tried my best to stay focused."
Freeland figures Friday's crowd of 49,169 was about 49,000 more than saw him the last time he pitched in Denver, during the playoffs his senior season at Thomas Jefferson High School in 2011.
Freeland came out early to soak in the atmosphere, then settled his nerves and went right to work, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the first and never really letting the Dodgers settle in. His only blemish was Enrique Hernandez's run-scoring groundout in the fourth.
"To say he had adrenaline today was an understatement," Rockies catcher Dustin Garneau said. "But it was almost a good thing that he had that bases-loaded jam when he had to pitch through that in the beginning to kind of get that adrenaline to kind of flush out of his system. Because after that, he really settled in and became Kyle Freeland, and you guys all saw it."
Black said he never sensed the moment getting too big for the 6-foot-4 rookie.
"I know he wasn't calm, but he looked calm," Black said, adding: "He was composed. He was great in between innings."
In between the lines, too.
BULLISH BULLPEN
Colorado's bullpen again came up big as Carlos Estevez and Scott Oberg each threw a scoreless inning before Jake McGee hit 98 mph and struck out the side in the ninth for his first save of the season.
This marked the second time in franchise history (April 28-29, 1995, at Houston) that the Rockies won back-to-back 2-1 games.
RYU'S RETURN
Ryu (0-1) came up short in his quest to win for the first time since Aug. 31, 2014. The Dodgers left-hander made just one start last season, on July 7, between stints on the DL because of left shoulder surgery and left elbow tendinitis.
"I didn't feel any discomfort or pain in my shoulder and elbow, which is always a great sign," Ryu said through a translator.
Ryu allowed two runs and six hits over 4 2/3 innings. He gave up an RBI single to Nolan Arenado in the first and a solo homer to Garneau off the left field foul pole to begin the fifth.
"You hold a team like that to two runs, you expect to win," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
HOME RARITY
Chuck Dobson of the Kansas City Athletics was the previous pitcher to debut by starting his hometown team's first home game, on April 19, 1966 against the Twins.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Dodgers: LHP Rich Hill was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand. RHP Josh Fields was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Rockies: The Rockies wanted RHP Chad Bettis to be on hand for opening day festivities, but he had to stay back in the Phoenix area, where he's receiving chemotherapy after doctors discovered his testicular cancer had spread to his lymph nodes last month.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw makes his second start of the season. Kershaw is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA.
Rockies: RHP Jon Gray makes his second start. He was the Rockies' opening day starter at Milwaukee last week and was cruising until a bad fifth inning sent him to the showers, leaving him with a no-decision and an 11.25 ERA.
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Follow Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton
---
More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
| View: Play-By-Play | Pitch-By-Pitch | Inning: All | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Los Angeles - Top of 1st | SCORE | |
|---|---|---|
| Kyle Freeland pitching for Colorado | LAD | COL |
| Forsythe struck out swinging. | 0 | 0 |
| Gutierrez grounded out to third. | 0 | 0 |
| Turner singled to left. | 0 | 0 |
| Puig walked, Turner to second. | 0 | 0 |
| Van Slyke walked, Turner to third, Puig to second. | 0 | 0 |
| Grandal grounded into fielder's choice to second, Van Slyke out at second. | 0 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Colorado - Bottom of 1st | SCORE | |
| Hyun-Jin Ryu pitching for Los Angeles | LAD | COL |
| Blackmon struck out swinging, Blackmon safe at first on passed ball by Grandal. | 0 | 0 |
| Blackmon caught stealing second, catcher to shortstop. | 0 | 0 |
| LeMahieu singled to center. | 0 | 0 |
| González singled to right, LeMahieu to second. | 0 | 0 |
| Arenado doubled to deep left, LeMahieu scored, González to third. | 0 | 1 |
| Story fouled out to first. | 0 | 1 |
| Reynolds struck out swinging. | 0 | 1 |
| 1 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Los Angeles - Top of 2nd | SCORE | |
| Kyle Freeland pitching for Colorado | LAD | COL |
| Hernández grounded out to third. | 0 | 1 |
| Pederson struck out looking. | 0 | 1 |
| Ryu struck out swinging. | 0 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Colorado - Bottom of 2nd | SCORE | |
| Hyun-Jin Ryu pitching for Los Angeles | LAD | COL |
| Cardullo safe at first on error by shortstop Hernández. | 0 | 1 |
| Garneau flied out to right. | 0 | 1 |
| Freeland sacrificed to pitcher, Cardullo to second, Freeland safe at first on throwing error by pitcher Ryu. Cardullo to third on throwing error by pitcher Ryu. | 0 | 1 |
| Blackmon grounded into double play, first to catcher, Cardullo out at home, Freeland to second. | 0 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 2 Errors | ||
| Los Angeles - Top of 3rd | SCORE | |
| Kyle Freeland pitching for Colorado | LAD | COL |
| Forsythe struck out swinging. | 0 | 1 |
| Gutierrez struck out swinging. | 0 | 1 |
| Turner doubled to deep left. | 0 | 1 |
| Puig grounded out to third. | 0 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Colorado - Bottom of 3rd | SCORE | |
| Hyun-Jin Ryu pitching for Los Angeles | LAD | COL |
| LeMahieu struck out looking. | 0 | 1 |
| González lined out to third. | 0 | 1 |
| Arenado struck out looking. | 0 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Los Angeles - Top of 4th | SCORE | |
| Kyle Freeland pitching for Colorado | LAD | COL |
| Van Slyke doubled to deep left. | 0 | 1 |
| Grandal sacrificed to pitcher, Van Slyke to third. | 0 | 1 |
| Hernández grounded out to shortstop, Van Slyke scored. | 1 | 1 |
| Pederson singled to right. | 1 | 1 |
| Ryu grounded out to second. | 1 | 1 |
| 1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Colorado - Bottom of 4th | SCORE | |
| Hyun-Jin Ryu pitching for Los Angeles | LAD | COL |
| Story struck out looking. | 1 | 1 |
| Reynolds lined out to shortstop. | 1 | 1 |
| Cardullo lined out to second. | 1 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Los Angeles - Top of 5th | SCORE | |
| Kyle Freeland pitching for Colorado | LAD | COL |
| Forsythe grounded out to second. | 1 | 1 |
| Gutierrez struck out looking. | 1 | 1 |
| Turner flied out to right. | 1 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Colorado - Bottom of 5th | SCORE | |
| Hyun-Jin Ryu pitching for Los Angeles | LAD | COL |
| Garneau homered to left (405 feet). | 1 | 2 |
| Freeland singled to shallow right. | 1 | 2 |
| Blackmon walked, Freeland to second. | 1 | 2 |
| LeMahieu grounded into double play, third to second to first, Blackmon out at second. | 1 | 2 |
| González reached on infield single to second, Freeland to third. | 1 | 2 |
| Stripling relieved Ryu. | 1 | 2 |
| Arenado struck out swinging. | 1 | 2 |
| 1 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Los Angeles - Top of 6th | SCORE | |
| Kyle Freeland pitching for Colorado | LAD | COL |
| Puig flied out to left. | 1 | 2 |
| Van Slyke grounded out to second. | 1 | 2 |
| Grandal grounded out to pitcher. | 1 | 2 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Colorado - Bottom of 6th | SCORE | |
| Ross Stripling pitching for Los Angeles | LAD | COL |
| Story struck out looking. | 1 | 2 |
| Reynolds grounded out to second. | 1 | 2 |
| Cardullo flied out to right. | 1 | 2 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Los Angeles - Top of 7th | SCORE | |
| Carlos Estevez pitching for Colorado | LAD | COL |
| Estévez relieved Freeland. | 1 | 2 |
| Parra in left field. | 1 | 2 |
| Seager hit for Hernández. | 1 | 2 |
| Seager singled to center. | 1 | 2 |
| Pederson lined out to center. | 1 | 2 |
| Toles hit for Stripling. | 1 | 2 |
| Seager to second on balk by Estévez. | 1 | 2 |
| Toles fouled out to third. | 1 | 2 |
| Forsythe struck out swinging. | 1 | 2 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Colorado - Bottom of 7th | SCORE | |
| Grant Dayton pitching for Los Angeles | LAD | COL |
| Seager at shortstop. | 1 | 2 |
| Dayton relieved Stripling. | 1 | 2 |
| Garneau struck out swinging. | 1 | 2 |
| Parra lined out to center. | 1 | 2 |
| Blackmon grounded out to second. | 1 | 2 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Los Angeles - Top of 8th | SCORE | |
| Scott Oberg pitching for Colorado | LAD | COL |
| Oberg relieved Estévez. | 1 | 2 |
| González hit for Gutierrez. | 1 | 2 |
| González walked. | 1 | 2 |
| Turner struck out swinging. | 1 | 2 |
| Puig grounded into double play, second to shortstop to first, González out at second. | 1 | 2 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Colorado - Bottom of 8th | SCORE | |
| Josh Fields pitching for Los Angeles | LAD | COL |
| González at first base. | 1 | 2 |
| Van Slyke in left field. | 1 | 2 |
| Fields relieved Dayton. | 1 | 2 |
| LeMahieu struck out swinging. | 1 | 2 |
| González struck out swinging. | 1 | 2 |
| Arenado struck out swinging. | 1 | 2 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Los Angeles - Top of 9th | SCORE | |
| Scott Oberg pitching for Colorado | LAD | COL |
| Utley hit for Van Slyke. | 1 | 2 |
| McGee relieved Oberg. | 1 | 2 |
| Utley struck out looking. | 1 | 2 |
| Grandal struck out swinging. | 1 | 2 |
| Seager struck out looking. | 1 | 2 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
Los Angeles Dodgers
| Hitters | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | #P | AVG | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forsythe 2B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 19 | .167 | .318 | .167 |
| Gutierrez LF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | .143 | .143 | .143 |
c-González PH-1B
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | .333 | .529 | .500 |
| Turner 3B | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20 | .471 | .471 | .706 |
| Puig RF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | .333 | .500 | 1.000 |
| Van Slyke 1B-LF | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | .200 | .429 | .400 |
d-Utley PH
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .125 | .125 | .125 |
| Grandal C | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15 | .133 | .133 | .533 |
| Hernández SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | .200 | .333 | .400 |
a-Seager PH-SS
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | .333 | .400 | .611 |
| Pederson CF | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | .167 | .313 | .417 |
| Ryu P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | |
b-Toles PH
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .167 | .286 | .167 |
Dayton P
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
Fields P
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Totals | 30 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 141 | |||
| a-singled to center for E Hernandez in the 7th b-fouled out to third for R Stripling in the 7th c-walked for F Gutierrez in the 8th d-struck out looking for S Van Slyke in the 9th | ||||||||||
| BATTING 2B: Turner (4, Freeland); Van Slyke (1, Freeland) RBI: Hernández (2) S: Grandal GIDP: Puig Dodgers RISP: 0-5 (Forsythe 0-1, Hernández 0-1, Grandal 0-1, Toles 0-1, Puig 0-1) Team LOB: 6 | ||||||||||
| FIELDING E: Hernández (1, ground ball); Ryu (1, throw) DP: 2 (Van Slyke-Grandal, Turner-Forsythe-Van Slyke). | ||||||||||
Game Information
| Stadium | Coors Field, Denver, CO |
| Attendance | 49,169 (97.6% full) - % is based on regular season capacity |
| Game Time | 3:00 |
| Weather | 74 degrees, cloudy |
| Wind | 3 mph |
| Umpires | Home Plate - Adrian Johnson, First Base - Gabe Morales, Second Base - Gary Cederstrom, Third Base - Eric Cooper |
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