Frustrated Freeland takes bat to dugout light

DENVER -- Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland felt the lighting décor in the Coors Field home dugout wasn’t to his liking during his team’s 8-5 victory over the Padres on Thursday afternoon.

“I just didn’t like where that light was in the dugout -- it didn’t look good,” deadpanned Freeland, who redecorated by taking a baseball bat to one of the ceiling lights.

Of course, the ambiance had nothing to do with why Freeland sent the plastic cover and shattered bits of bulb everywhere before tossing the bat aside.

The Rockies had given Freeland a 5-2 lead going into the fifth inning. Had he pitched more efficiently and gotten through that inning, he would have had a win. We all know wins aren’t an important stat to sabermetric worshipers. Still, a player wants to pitch well.

Instead, Freeland yielded a Trent Grisham leadoff home run, a double to Ha-Seong Kim and an RBI single to Jake Cronenworth before manager Bud Black removed him for Jhoulys Chacín, who gave up Jorge Alfaro’s game-tying RBI single. Even on a hot afternoon, Freeland, who didn’t have a feel for any of his pitches, then let out some heat.

“I felt good out of the gate, but things kind of unfolded on me,” said Freeland, whose inconsistent first half will send him into the All-Star break with a 4.96 ERA. “I kind of stopped attacking the zone, tried to be too fine. I’m not sure why. Obviously, it’s a solid lineup they have over there, but that's not my game, trying to be fine with pitches. My game is being in the zone, attacking.”

In the end, though, the sun shone on Colorado, who won three out of four from San Diego.

“It was huge,” Freeland said. “Hats off to our offense and our bullpen for picking me up and doing their job.

“I’ve just got to be more consistent, get back to who I know I am.”