DENVER -- Prior to Friday’s series opener against the Royals, Rockies manager Bud Black said his favorite days were the ones Kyle Freeland pitches -- because of the left-hander's competitive spirit. By the end of the game, any fans not already in Freeland’s camp were feeling the same way as the Rockies followed his lead to a 4-2 victory at Coors Field.

Freeland pitched seven quality innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on seven hits and one walk while striking out five. He was efficient throughout, needing just 89 pitches (63 strikes) to record those 21 outs.

Freeland has been on a roll since coming off the injured list on June 23. In his three starts since being activated, he’s posted a 1.37 ERA (3 ER over 19 2/3 innings), allowing 15 hits and four walks against a dozen strikeouts. Despite earning three no-decisions in a trio of quality starts, the Rockies are 2-1 in those outings.

The Royals' only earned run off Freeland came in the first, when Bobby Witt Jr. doubled before Salvador Perez brought him home with a two-out single.

The Rockies tied the game in the third when Michael Toglia drilled a 382-foot homer that left fielder Dairon Blanco nearly caught over the wall. He appeared to lose the ball when he made contact with a fan reaching over the wall, but despite a review, the home run call stood.

The two teams went into the eighth tied at 2, with Cole Ragans matching Freeland with seven innings of two-run ball. But reliever John Schrieber struggled out of the gate, yielding two hits and a walk to load the bases before Brenton Doyle smacked a two-run ground-rule double to the right field corner, putting the brakes on what could have been a base-clearing triple.

Schrieber struck out Jacob Stallings before giving way to local Denver product Walter Pennington, who made his Major League debut in front around 50 hometown friends and family members. Pennington struck out Nolan Jones, the first big league batter he faced, then induced a grounder to short from Toglia to end the inning.

Jalen Beeks came on in the ninth, earning his second save in as many days to seal the Rockies' win in the opener.