Freeland Faces Nola as Rockies - Phillies Open at Citizens Bank Park
The rockies - phillies game at Citizens Bank Park on Saturday night paired Kyle Freeland with Aaron Nola to open the Rockies’ three-game series in Philadelphia. The first pitch was set for 6:10 p.m. EDT, with Colorado beginning a six-game road trip through Pennsylvania after losing five of its previous six games on the homestand.
Kyle Freeland at Citizens Bank Park
Freeland entered at 1-3 with a 5.04 ERA. His recent outing came on May 3, when he allowed six runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings against the Atlanta Braves.
That start also included three walks, seven strikeouts, 98 pitches and 13 outs. Colorado needed a steadier first turn in the series after beating the New York Mets 9-7 in 11 innings on Thursday afternoon, a win that featured Jake McCarthy’s eighth-inning grand slam, Troy Johnston’s RBI double in the top of the 11th and McCarthy’s RBI single later in the inning.
Aaron Nola and the Phillies
Nola took the mound for Philadelphia with a 2-3 record and a 5.06 ERA. He had worked six scoreless innings against the Miami Marlins on May 4 after posting a 6.15 ERA in April over 26.1 innings, during which he allowed 18 earned runs.
That split in form set up a clean test for both starters. Freeland had to show better command after the Atlanta start, while Nola brought the sharper recent line into a game that began the Rockies’ road swing through Pennsylvania.
Rockies TV and KOA 850
The game was scheduled to air on Rockies.TV, with radio coverage on KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM. Warren Schaeffer’s club left Philadelphia needing to keep momentum from the Mets win while trying to stabilize the rotation early in the trip.
For Colorado, the immediate task was simple: open the road series with a start that did not force the bullpen to cover another long night. Freeland’s line against Atlanta and Nola’s rebound against Miami made Saturday’s matchup a direct read on which starter was more likely to set the tone for the series.
