In an at times empty Camden Yards, the Rockies did not give up.
Early on, the series opener between the Colorado Rockies and the Baltimore Orioles felt like the losing was back after winning two series at Coors Field.
But the Rockies never gave up and came back to win, 6-5, Baltimore, home of Edgar Allan Poe.
The walks, they did haunt the Orioles
The Orioles got on the board first with a Jordan Westburg home run in the bottom of the first. Two batters later, Tyler O’Neill followed suit with another home run. The inning finished with the Orioles leading, 2-0.
The hit parade continued in the second with Coby Mayo adding another bomb to the total before Alex Jackson went yard as well. When the second inning concluded, almost half of the Orioles lineup had hit home runs, and the score was 4-0 with Freeland apparently tipping pitches.
After the second inning, Freeland worked things out, retiring the Orioles through the next two innings.
The Rockies entered the chat in the third inning off a Mickey Moniak home run, his sixteenth, making the score 4-1.
Moniak’s on-base streak is now at 18.
In the fourth, Ezequiel Tovar took a rare walk, and Thairo Estrada followed that up with the rockies second home run of the evening.
The Rockies finished the inning by cutting the Orioles’ lead to one.
Their scrappy offense picked up where they left off in the fifth. With two outs, Moniak drew a walk followed by a Hunter Goodman RBI double and then a Jordan Beck RBI single.
Walks do, in fact, haunt (which seems fitting in the city of Poe.)
The Rockies finished the fifth with a 5-4 lead.
Dean Kremer was done for the Orioles after six innings. He finished the evening giving up five runs, all earned, on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts on 92 pitches.
Things got a little weird in the sixth when Orioles staff emptied the stands due to weather. (There were serious COVID vibes as players continued to play with empty seats in the background.)
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(Fans were allowed back into the stands in the bottom of the seventh.)
The Orioles tied things up in the seventh when Jake Bird surrendered a double to Alex Jackson followed by an RBI single to Jackson Holliday.
But in the eighth inning, it was truly Tovar Time as he went yard, giving the Rockies a 6-5 lead.
The Rockies did not score in the ninth.
“It’s just a sign of a team that’s growing,” interim manager Warren Schaeffer said. “We’re just trying to play consistent, nine-inning games.”
Of Tovar, he added, “He’s a big part of our future.”
Kyle Freeland: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
The first two innings were a challenge for Freeland. In addition to giving up two home runs in the first inning, he threw 32 pitches, the most first-inning pitches he has thrown this season. The second inning saw him throwing 21 and giving up two more homers.
Ryan Rolison was warming up in the bullpen before the second inning had concluded.
And then things changed. In the third, he threw only 8 pitches and 7 in the fourth.
What initially looked to be a short outing for the lefty turned into a quality start as he completed six innings, giving seven hits, four for runs (all homers). He walked one and struck out four on 93 pitches.
“Early in the game, it seemed like he gave something way,” Schaeffer said. “He could have easily given in, but he gave us six strong innings.
“A fantastic job by one of our best.”
The bullpen’s tell-tale heart
Once agin, the Rockies bullpen got the job done.
Jake Bird handled the seventh in relief of Freeland, but it wasn’t his best outing. He faced five hitters in one inning, giving up two hits and one run (earned).
The eighth went to Tyler Kinley, who gave up a leadoff double to Tyler O’Neill, but finished the rest of the inning without allowing a run.
Closer Seth Halvorsen handled the ninth, facing three batters and retiring them in order.
And with that, the Rockies have won three straight games.
Say what you want about the 2025 Colorado Rockies, but they have heart.
Coming next
The Orioles are now 45-56 while the Rockies move to 27-76.
Join us tomorrow at 5:05 pm for Game 2 when Antonio Senzatela will face Trevor Rogers.
See you then.
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