12.46 ERA: Kyle Freeland Is Collapsing, But the Rockies' Bats Are an Absolute Freight Train

Alright, buckle up, baseball fans, because we’ve got a series starting Friday night in Denver that’s got some seriously wild vibes. The Pittsburgh Pirates are rolling into Coors Field to face the Colorado Rockies, and if you thought June was just going to be another snooze-fest, think again. We’re talking about a Pirates squad that looked completely lost just a week ago, suddenly finding their groove, while the Rockies are putting up video game numbers at the plate, even with one of their ace pitchers struggling like crazy. This is going to be a slugfest, plain and simple.

Bucs Found Their Big Bats, Now Can Chandler Hold the Line?

Let's talk about the Pirates, because seriously, what a turnaround! They started June looking pretty rough, dropping nine out of thirteen games. Not exactly lighting up the scoreboard, right? But then they hit their stride against the Athletics, snagging two straight wins to take that series. That's momentum, baby! And how did they do it? Simple: they started hitting. Pittsburgh smashed double-digit hits in both those games and exploded for 18 runs, a huge jump after only plating 16 runs in the five games before that. Ryan O'Hearn, who had a career-high six RBIs in Wednesday's 12-4 victory, nailed it when he said, "That's a key for us, quality at-bats and production up and down the lineup. Any stretch that we've had that's been really good this season, the common denominator has been the offense has been kind of relentless up and down the lineup." Marcell Ozuna even cranked his first homer since May 15, and every single starter got a hit in that Wednesday win. That's the kind of all-around attack that makes you dangerous. But here's the twist for Friday: they're sending right-hander Bubba Chandler to the mound. This kid's got a 2-7 record with a 4.76 ERA, and he's still trying to find his footing. His big-league debut was actually against the Rockies back in August 2025, where he tossed four scoreless innings for his only save in a 9-0 Pirates win. He's started 13 of his 14 games this season,

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but he hasn't been able to get past the sixth inning yet. Pitching in Denver is already a monster challenge for any hurler, and with the Rockies offense heating up, Chandler is going to need every single one of those renewed Pirate bats to back him up.

Rockies' Offense Is Unstoppable, But Freeland's Numbers Are Frightening

Now, let's look at the home team. The Colorado Rockies' offense is on an absolute tear. They’ve been putting up four or more runs in their last six games, including a ridiculous franchise-record 23-9 beatdown of the A's just last Sunday in Las Vegas. Even though they dropped two out of three against the Cubs to finish their own road trip, they still racked up 15 runs in that series! Hunter Goodman is leading the charge with a team-high 21st homer in Wednesday's 8-6 loss, but rookie Sterlin Thompson stole the show, blasting his first two career dingers in the same game. MLB.com confirmed he's only the sixth Rockies player to ever do that, first since Brian Serven in 2022. Thompson called it "a great moment for sure, a cool spot to get the first one and then go to the next at-bat and hit the second one." You gotta love that! However, the flip side of that coin is who's pitching for the Rockies on Friday: lefty Kyle Freeland. His 1-7 record and monstrous 7.98 ERA are enough to make anyone nervous. Remember when he beat Houston on April 7, and his ERA was down to 2.30? Yeah, that feels like a lifetime ago. Since then, he's gone 0-4 with a horrifying 12.46 ERA in five May starts, and he's 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA in his three June outings. He's given up five or more earned runs in six of his last eight starts. Against the Pirates, he’s 3-5 with a 5.15 ERA in 10 career games. This dude is struggling, big time. So, Friday night is set up for some serious fireworks. Can the Pirates keep their rediscovered offensive power going to support Chandler in a tough park? Or will Freeland somehow dig deep, while the Rockies' offense just keeps on mashing? This series opener is going to be a true test of wills, and I can't wait to see which team comes out swinging for real. Get ready for some baseball drama, Emerald City!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.