Rockies tie franchise record with 13th shutout of season in loss at Padres

The Rockies had enjoyed a caller roadworthy powerfulness surge with astatine slightest 7 runs successful consecutive games.

But their bats went acold Thursday successful a 3-0 nonaccomplishment astatine the Padres that wasted a affirmative commencement from southpaw Kyle Freeland. It marked the Rockies’ 13th shutout this play to necktie a franchise grounds worst acceptable successful 1993.

“In a batch of ways, contiguous was a microcosm of the season,” manager Bud Black said. “We conscionable can’t look to make capable basal hits to make capable traffic. When we bash get immoderate large opportunities, we’ve lacked getting the large hit.”

It was a one-run crippled into the eighth earlier person Daniel Bard gave up a two-run homer to infielder Jake Cronenworth. Colorado — contempt 2 hits from Charlie Blackmon — finished the nighttime 0-for-7 with runners successful scoring position. All portion Freeland allowed conscionable 1 tally connected 8 hits implicit six innings pitched.

“I’m close wherever I request to be,” Freeland said. “I consciousness bully with my mechanics. I consciousness bully with my transportation mix. I consciousness assured with Dom (Nunez) and (Elias) Diaz down the crockery erstwhile they drawback me. Right now, determination is nary crushed to property hard.”

But Padres’ starter Joe Musgrove was adjacent better. He fanned 11 Rockies done 7 shutout innings.

Colorado threatened successful the ninth facing San Diego person Mark Melancon — a Golden High School graduate — erstwhile Trevor Story ripped a double. However, Ryan McMahon and Sam Hilliard were incapable to instrumentality advantage.

Freeland threw a chaotic transportation successful the sixth but recovered to tag retired a hard-charging Manny Machado astatine the plate. Freeland received the flip from Nunez, dove toward Machado, and skid connected his backmost to marque the play.

Freeland has a 1.98 ERA implicit his past 7 starts since June 22. That is Freeland’s second-lowest implicit a seven-start span successful his MLB career.

“I don’t attraction if we’re successful dormant past … oregon if we’re the champion squad successful the MLB. I’m going retired determination to bash my occupation and triumph a shot game,” Freeland said. “That’s wherefore I play. It’s amusive to bash that. It’s amusive to bushed up connected a team. To predominate a team. It’s amusive to triumph with your boys. I’m going to ever beryllium similar that careless of what the circumstances are.”

Black added: “He’s pitched his butt off.”

Musgrove retired a agelong of 8 consecutive Rockies erstwhile Blackmon broke done successful the 4th with a leadoff double. But Musgrove settled backmost successful to support Colorado scoreless.

The Rockies failed to capitalize connected first-inning singles from Brendan Rodgers and Blackmon. Then Freeland gave up consecutive doubles, from Tommy Pham and Fernando Tatis Jr., to springiness San Diego a 1-0 lead.

The Rockies (44-59) volition play 3 much games astatine the Padres to adjacent retired their existent series. Colorado moves to 11-39 connected the roadworthy this season.