PITTSBURGH PIRATES NOTES:
THE PIRATES:…split their four-game series in St. Louis…Have played back-to-back extra inning games on the road for the first time since July 13-14 in Miami…Won a season-high four straight games from 4/3-7…Have not lost back-to-back games since dropping the final two contests of their season-opening series in Cincinnati.
CONNOR’S RETURN TO COORS: Last year as a member of the Rockies, Connor Joe reached base safely in 90 of his 110 games with a plate appearance…Joe had a 35-game on-base streak from April 29 to June 9, tied for the seventh-longest streak in club history with Todd Helton in 2006 and Larry Walker in 2002 (the only player in MLB with a longer on-base streak in 2022 was Paul Goldschmidt – 46 games).
SOUTHPAW SIGHTINGS: Tonight is the third time in five games and the fifth time this season the Pirates will be opposed by a left-handed starter…Thursday night in St. Louis the Pirates won 5-0 against Cardinals starter Jordan Montgomery… Saturday afternoon Pittsburgh prevailed 6-3 in 10 innings at Busch while facing starter Steven Matz…Carlos Santana is 6-for-13 with three doubles off lefties this year…Connor Joe is 4-for-11 with a double and homer off southpaws.
RICH ON THE HILL: Rich Hill gets the start tonight in game one of this three-game series against the Rockies…Hill allowed two runs in 6.0 innings while losing a 7-0 decision in his last outing Wednesday afternoon against the Astros at PNC Park… The 43-year-old lefthander signed a one-year contract with the Pirates on January 5 after spending 2022 with Boston, where he went 8-7 with a 4.27 ERA in 26 starts.
THE RESILIENT PIRATES: The Pirates were walked off in 10 innings for the first time this season on Sunday one day after beating the Cardinals 6-3 in 10 innings…Pittsburgh has alternated losses and wins in each of its last nine games since winning a season-high four straight games from April 3-7…Pittsburgh’s longest losing streak of the season (two games), came in its season-opening series in Cincinnati after winning on Opening Day.
THE BRIDGE TO BEDNAR: Colin Holderman is one of three National League relief pitchers entering today to work at least 8.0 innings without allowing a run this season…The only other two National League relievers to do it are New York’s David Robertson (8.1ip) and San Francisco’s Tyler Rogers (8.0ip).
CLOSING IN ON 1800: Carlos Santana’s next game will be the 1800th of his big league career…Santana ranks seventh among active players in games played behind Miguel Cabrera (2708), Nelson Cruz (2017), Joey Votto (1991), Elvis Andrus (1963), Evan Longoria (1921) and Andrew McCutchen (1910).
ON THE ROAD: The Pirates have hit 12 home runs on the road this season…That’s tied for the fifth-most in all of MLB behind the Giants (19), Braves (17), Orioles (13) and Rays (13)…The Bucs are 6-4 after their first 10 road games of the year, which is their best start away from home since 2019 (also 6-4).
STRANDED: Pittsburgh’s bullpen has allowed just four of its 21 inherited runners to score this season (19.0 percent), which is tied with the Marlins for the third-best in all of MLB…The only two teams in MLB to allow a lower percentage of inherited runners to score are the Brewers and Mets (18.2 percent each).
AGAINST THE ROCKIES: Andrew McCutchen is a .307 (51-for-166) lifetime hitter with seven doubles, three triples, eight home runs and 23 RBI at Coors Field…McCutchen’s second career three-homer game came here at Coors Field on April 26, 2016…Bryan Reynolds has gone 12-for-27 (.444) with four doubles and a homer in six career games at Coors.
GETTING STRETCHED OUT: Pittsburgh’s starters have worked at least 6.0 innings in each of the last six games…That’s the longest stretch since making eight straight of at least 6.0 innings from April 10-19, 2019…The starting staff has recorded a 2.43 ERA (37.0ip/10er) during this current six-game stretch…The starting staff has also thrown the fourth-most innings (85.1) among all National League teams coming into today.
HEATING UP: Rodolfo Castro has hit safely in six straight and seven of his last eight games, going 11-for-24 with a pair of doubles, home run and 1.247 OPS…In addition, Castro’s .581 on-base percentage since April 8 ranks first in all of MLB… Colorado’s Elias Diaz ranks second in that time (.565).
TODAY’S STARTING PTICHER – 44 – LHP RICH HILL
RICH HILL: The 43-year-old lefthander is making his fourth start this evening…Lost a 7-0 decision (6.0ip/2er) in his last start Wednesday afternoon against the Astros.
vs. COLORADO: 1-4 with a 5.68 ERA (38.0ip/24er) in seven career starts…His win came in his last appearance against the Rockies on 9/9/18 at Coors Field after winning a 9-6 decision as a member of the Dodgers…His last loss came on 6/29/18 after allowing one run in 6.2 innings while also recording 10 strikeouts.
COLORADO ROCKIES NOTES:
WHAT’S GOING ON
• The Colorado Rockies return home to Coors Field for a brief three-game homestand against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• The Rockies were swept in a three-game road trip to Seattle, their first time being swept this season … lost yesterday’s series finale 1-0, their first shutout loss of the season.
• Colorado has dropped five-straight games, having been outscored 31-15 over the stretch … are batting .213 (35-for-164) over the losing streak, including .162 with runners in scoring position … lost at least five straight four times in 2022, dropping a season-high seven straight games Sept. 24-Oct. 1.
• Following this homestand, the Rockies embark on a seven-game road trip to Philadelphia (Thursday-Sunday) and Cleveland (April 24-26).
SERIESLY
• The Rockies have not won any of their first five series of the season, dropping three and splitting two … last went winless through their first five series of the season in 2019, when they dropped or split their first five series before sweeping San Diego in two games for their first series win.
• The last time Colorado went deeper into a season without winning a series was in 2005, when they recorded their first series win in their seventh series of the season, April 22-24 vs. Los Angeles-NL.
FREE LESSONS
• Tonight’s starting pitcher Kyle Freeland has gone 2-0 with a 0.96 ERA (18.2 IP, 2 ER) through his first three starts of the season, the sixth-lowest ERA in the Majors and the lowest in the National League … allowed his first two runs of the season in his last start, April 11 vs. St. Louis, both coming on solo home runs.
• Freeland’s 0.96 ERA is the lowest in franchise history through a starting pitcher’s first three starts of the season, besting Chad Kuhl’s 1.10 ERA through his first three starts of 2022 … the lowest ERA by a Rockies starter through their first four starts of a season was Ubaldo Jiménez’s 0.95 ERA (28.1 IP, 3 ER) to start the 2010 season.
YO-HO-HO
• The Rockies went 3-3 against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2022, winning two of three at Coors Field while dropping two of three at PNC Park.
• Colorado is 5-1 over their last six home games against the Pirates after losing six in a row to Pittsburgh at Coors Field Aug. 7, 2018-Sept. 1, 2019.
• Elias Díaz played the first five years of his career in Pittsburgh from 2015-19 … in seven games against his former club, he has gone 8-for-22 with one double, one triple and one home run.
• Kris Bryant is a career .351 (127-for-362) hitter against the Pirates with 19 home runs, his second-most against an single opponent (23 home runs vs. Cincinnati).
AS DÍAZ DOES
• Elias Díaz had his career-long nine-game hitting streak and 12-game on-base streak snapped yesterday when he lined out in a pinch-hit appearance … despite losing the streaks, is still batting .429 (15-for-35) with three doubles and two home runs over his last 13 games.
• Díaz’s .362 batting average (17-for-47) is the sixth-best in the National League.
ARM BARN
• Over the last 11 games the Rockies bullpen has posted a 3.40 ERA (42.1 IP, 16 ER) with 22 walks and 48 strikeouts while allowing just two home runs.
• Since allowing one earned run in his first outing of the season, LHP Brad Hand has put together six consecutive scoreless appearances (4.2 IP), striking out eight through this span.
• Brent Suter was tagged for four unearned runs Saturday but has allowed just two earned runs through 10.1 inning (six games) this season, good for a 1.74 ERA while tied for the most innings of relief in the NL …the left-hander has fanned nine while walking three and giving up seven hits.
ROCKIES STARTING PITCHER – #21 KYLE FREELAND LHP
DENVER KID
• Kyle Freeland will make his fourth start of the season tonight, his third at Coors Field.
• The 29-year-old Denver native graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School, 15 minutes south of Coors Field … selected in the first round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft (eighth overall), the third player in University of Evansville history to be drafted in the first round.
• The Rockies announced on April 19, 2022 that they agreed to a five-year contract extension with Freeland covering the 2022-26 seasons … the extension includes two arbitration years and three years of free agency.
BEST FOOT FORWARD
• Freeland enters his start today with a National League-leading 0.96 ERA (18.2 IP, 2 ER), a mark that ranks sixth across the Majors among qualified starting pitchers … Freeland ranks second in ERA across baseball among pitchers with at least 18.0 innings pitched, trailing Shohei Ohtani (0.47 ERA, 19.0 IP, 1 ER).
• Freeland’s ERA is the lowest in franchise history for a starting pitcher through his first three starts of the season (min. 18.0 IP).
A HOT START
• Didn’t factor into the Rockies’ 9-6 loss to St. Louis in his last start on April 11, espite exiting with the Rockies leading 6-2 … allowed two runs, both on solo home runs.
• Home run to Tommy Edman on the second batter of the game snapped a 13.0 inning scoreless streak to begin the season, tied with Jason Jennings (2001) for the second-longest streak to begin a season in franchise history, behind Jhoulys Chacín (14.1 IP, 2010).
• Prior to the start, became the first pitcher in franchise history to toss at least six scoreless innings in each of his first two appearances of the season … was also the first Rockie since Jorge De La Rosa on April 9, 2010 to toss at least six scoreless innings in the Home Opener (7.0 IP vs. San Diego).
HOPE OPENER x3:
• With his start on April 6, Freeland became the franchise leader for starts in a Home Opener with three (also: 2017 and 2022 both vs. Los Angeles-NL) … tossed 6.2 shutout innings against the Nationals, allowing four hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
• Started Opening Day at Coors Field in 2022, April 8 vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers … made his Major League debut in the Rockies’ Home Opener in 2017, April 7 vs. the Dodgers … allowed one run across six innings in the 2-1 win.
CAPTAIN HOOK
• Is 3-2 with a 3.75 ERA (36.0 IP, 15 ER) in seven career starts against the Pirates, 2-0 with a 1.77 ERA (20.1 IP, 4 ER) through his last five.
• In his last outing against Pittsburgh, on May 24, 2022, tossed 84 pitches through 4.1 innings while battling illness at PNC Park … gave up one earned run on two hits, walked two, hit one batter and fanned six.
LAND OF THE FREE
• Appeared in two games for the USA in the World Baseball Classic, allowing two runs on three hits over 6.0 innings (3.00 ERA), striking out five and walking two.
• In the Championship Game vs. Japan, struck out WBC MVP Shohei Ohtani … Freeland’s 41 pitches in the game were the most by any pitcher who appeared during the contest.
• In three Cactus League starts, went 1-1 with a 5.79 ERA (9.1 IP, 6 ER) with one walk and five strikeouts.
THIS ‘N THAT
• Finished fourth in 2018 NL Cy Young Award voting going 17-7 with a 2.85 ERA (202.1 IP, 64 ER) … became the second pitcher in Rockies history to ever finish in the top five in Cy Young voting (also: Ubaldo Jiménez, third place in 2010).
• Pitched 8.1 no-hit innings on July 9, 2017 vs. Chicago-AL, the longest no-hit bid for a Rockies pitcher at Coors Field in franchise history.
THE YEAR TWENTY THOUSAND AND TWENTY-TWO (2022)
• Finished the 2022 season posting a 4.53 ERA across 31 starts … of those 31 starts, 13 of them were quality, his most in a full season since logging 24 quality starts in 2018 … set career-highs in runs allowed (96), earned runs (88).
YOU’RE GROUNDED
• Since his debut in 2017, Freeland ranks second in the Majors and leads the National League with 105 GIDP (Kyle Gibson leads the Majors with 115).
FINISHED STRONG
• Has allowed three or fewer runs in 13 of his last 16 starts since July 25 of last season, compiling a 7-4 record with a 3.34 ERA (91.2 IP, 34 ER) … posted a 3.90 ERA (140.2 IP, 62 ER) in 24 starts since June 4.
• Spun five or more frames in 21 of his last 24 starts and six or more innings 16 times through this span (13 quality starts).
THE HOME RUN HIGHWAY
• His 19 home runs allowed in 2022 were his fewest since 2018 (17) … his 0.98 HR/9 was the 13th-lowest in the National League in 2022 … his lowest HR/9 rate since he posted a 0.76 clip in 2018.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
• Allowed 22 of his 96 runs in the first inning (23 percent) in 2022, tied for the eighth-most in the Majors … opponents slashed .328/.382/.492 in the first frame … 42 hits allowed in the first inning were the third-most in the Majors.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN FEELS
• Making the 154th start of his career tonight, two shy of tying Jason Jennings for the fifth-most in franchise history … passed Jon Gray for the sixth-most starts on April 6.
• His 51 career wins rank ninth in franchise history, two behind Jon Gray and Pedro Astacio with 53 each.
• Recorded the 600th strikeout of his career Aug. 10, 2022 vs. St. Louis, the eighth pitcher in franchise history to reach the mark … his 652 strikeouts are the seventh-most in franchise history … trails Jeff Francis in sixth with 742 strikeouts.
• Career 4.20 ERA ranks fourth all-time among Rockies starting pitchers min. 75 starts) … 105 career opponent grounded into double plays are the fourth-most in franchise history (min. 50 GS).
