Freeland Deals, Veen Goes Yard: Rockies Crash the Giants' Party in SF

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Colorado Rockies didn't just show up at Oracle Park on Friday night – they took over. Led by a vintage Kyle Freeland performance and a highlight-reel blast from Zac Veen, the Rockies smacked the slumping Giants 5-2 in the opener of a three-game series.

Freeland (4-10) was locked in from the start, spinning eight innings of one-run ball while scattering four hits and a walk. He handed the ball to Brennan Bernardino, who shut the door in the ninth to slam it shut.

The fireworks were supplied by Veen, who crushed a curveball 406 feet down the first base line and into McCovey Cove. That bomb put Colorado up 4-1 and gave the young outfielder his second homer of the season – a shot that had the bay talking.

Earlier, the Rockies had already broken a 1-1 tie in the fifth. Brett Sullivan raced home from third and beat the throw after Mickey Moniak reached on a sharp grounder to shortstop Christian Koss. It was the kind of heads-up, aggressive baserunning that wins ballgames.

Colorado jumped on the board first in this one, too. Troy Johnston ripped his first triple of the year to bring home TJ Rumfield and give the Rockies an early edge.

Giants starter Landen Roupp (7-12) took the loss, giving up four runs on five hits with five strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. San Francisco's offense never got going until it was too late. Bryce Eldridge went deep in the fourth – his second homer in three games – and Rafael Devers added an RBI double in the ninth. But that was all she wrote.

The Giants have now dropped seven of their last 10. Ouch.

Up Next

The series continues Saturday when Giants' right-hander Logan Webb (7-7, 3.59 ERA) faces Rockies' right-hander Michael Lorenzen (3-10, 6.83 ERA).