Kyle Freeland dominates, Sam Hilliard homers in Rockies’ 4-1 win over Brewers

Kyle Freeland set the tone, Sam Hilliard provided the juice, and the bullpen closed the deal Sunday afternoon in one of the Rockies’ most impressive victories of the season.

Their 4-1 win over the playoff-bound Brewers at American Family Field earned them a three-game series victory in Milwaukee.

Freeland’s rocky first inning gave no hint of the brilliance to come.

The lefty needed 32 pitches to get through the first, his troubles exacerbated by third baseman Ryan McMahon’s throwing error, which allowed Gary Sanchez to reach first and Rhys Hoskins to follow up with a bloop single to score William Contreras.

But after yielding a one-out single to Issac Collins in the second, Freeland retired the next 14 hitters he faced. The lefty pitched six innings, giving up one unearned run on three hits and no walks. He struck out four. Freeland needed just 57 pitches over his final five frames.

“Kyle was a little slow out of the chute, but I think his (pitch) movement picked up from the second inning on,” manager Bud Black told reporters in Milwaukee. “I saw a moving fastball, and even at 90-91 (mph), it was tailing. The breaking ball got a little better and the location got a little bit better.

“And it looked as though the Brewers were a little bit more aggressive than in the first two games and that worked to Kyle’s advantage.”

Since coming off the injured list where he dealt with an elbow strain, Freeland is 5-3 with a 3.47 ERA in 13 starts, nine of them quality starts.

Rookie relievers Seth Halvorsen, Angel Chivilli, and veteran closer Tyler Kinley combined to pitch three perfect innings as the Rockies tied a franchise record by retiring the final 23 hitters to end a game. Kinley notched his 11th save.

“We have some big, young arms (in the bullpen), and we are looking forward to their future,” Black said. “What they did against a playoff-bound team, in their ballpark, in a three-run game, was pretty impressive.”

Over the last nine games, Colorado’s bullpen has posted a 1.21 ERA, including four consecutive scoreless outings.

Hilliard, getting the start in center field in place of Brenton Doyle who’s nursing a sore left hand, beat the odds with his game-clinching three-run homer in the fifth. Brewers manager Pat Murphy pulled struggling starter Freddy Peralta and brought in lefty reliever Hoby Milner to face the left-handed hitting Hilliard. But Hilliard parked Milner’s 1-1, 80 mph sweeper to give Colorado a 4-1 lead.

“I thought he was going with a fastball, but he threw a slider right into my loop and I was able to say on it and put the barrel on it,” Hilliard told Rockies.TV.

Hillard, who seems to be adjusting better to his role as a bench player, also hit a home run on Saturday. Of his 25 hits this season, 12 have gone for extra bases (four doubles, a triple, seven home runs).

Colorado’s other run came on a leadoff solo homer by Hunter Goodman in the third, Goodman’s ninth homer.

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