For the first time in over a calendar year, the Colorado Rockies recorded a series sweep, edging the Miami Marlins 3-2 on Wednesday afternoon at loanDepot park. Led by a vintage performance from veteran left-hander Kyle Freeland and just enough offensive spark, the Rockies capped their first sweep since May 15, 2024 — when they took down the Padres during a rare seven-game win streak.
Wins have been rare for Colorado this season, but Wednesday’s win injected a needed jolt of optimism as the Rockies creep toward the season’s halfway mark. Freeland, in his 13th start of the year, delivered his finest outing to date — scattering four hits across 6 1/3 innings, striking out three, and allowing only two unearned runs. It was his first win of the season, and a reminder of the form that once made him the Rockies’ ace.
“He was in control from the start,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “This was vintage Kyle — attacking the zone, mixing speeds, working quickly.”
Freeland retired four of the first five Marlins he faced and shrugged off a hit-by-pitch in the second by picking off Dane Myers at first before inducing a pop-out to end the inning. The lefty cruised through the next several frames, keeping Miami off the board until an error opened the door in the seventh.
On the offensive side, the Rockies made the most of their chances. Hunter Goodman stayed hot, continuing his torrid series with a first-inning RBI triple off former Rockies pitcher Cal Quantrill. Goodman, who went 5-for-9 with three homers and four RBIs in the first two games, added a double in the sixth and scored on a Brenton Doyle sacrifice fly.
Jordan Beck chipped in with a ground-rule RBI double in the fifth, giving Colorado a 2-0 lead before Miami responded with two runs in the seventh after an error by shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. But the Rockies’ bullpen held the line. Jake Bird entered with runners on and minimized the damage, aided by a crucial outfield relay and throw home by Orlando Arcia to cut down the potential tying run.
Victor Vodnik and Tyler Kinley handled the final two innings, with Kinley notching the save.
The series sweep marked a rare bright spot in what has been a frustrating campaign for Colorado. But for Freeland, the win carried extra weight. The Denver native — a first-round pick by the Rockies in 2014 who debuted in 2017 — improved to 4-0 with a 2.89 ERA in eight career appearances against the Marlins.
Miami, meanwhile, was left frustrated by another narrow loss and by a Rockies pitcher who has now allowed just three earned runs in 20 1/3 innings pitched at loanDepot park.
“The rain, the crowd, the feel of this ballpark — it’s been good to me,” Freeland said with a smile. “But more than that, I just wanted to give this team something to build on.”
After Wednesday’s win, the Rockies will look to take that momentum into a road trip that could help define their direction the rest of the summer. If nothing else, they’ve proven that they’re capable of winning — and sweeping — again.
