Rockies’ Kyle Freeland struggles as Giants romp behind Kevin Gausman – The Denver Post

The pride of Grandview High School bested the pride of Thomas Jefferson on Monday afternoon at Coors Field. It wasn’t close.

In a rare matchup of Colorado native starters, Grandview’s Kevin Gausman pitched San Francisco to an easy 10-5 victory over Kyle Freeland’s Rockies. Gausman was sharp, Freeland was anything but.

Gausman, a 2010 graduate, pitched seven solid innings, limiting the Rockies to three runs on five hits. He struck out nine and walked only one. After giving up a leadoff solo homer to Ryan McMahon in the second, he didn’t give up another hit until the sixth when Raimel Tapia singled and scored on Charlie Blackmon’s triple. By then, the Giants had the game well in hand.

Garrett Hampson nicked Gausman for a two-out, solo homer in the seventh.

When Gausman came off the field at the end of the seventh inning, the orange-clad Giants fans behind the visitor’s dugout gave the right-hander a standing ovation. No doubt so did Gausman’s father, Clair, who brought most of the family to Monday’s game. Clair Gausman is a retired sixth-grade science teacher who moonlighted as a college football referee. He’s now a college replay official.

The Giants hammered Freeland, a 2011 T.J. graduate, for seven runs on nine hits, including four homers. Many of the southpaw’s pitches floated up in the strike zone.

Freeland pitched only one inning in his last start on Wednesday at Texas, departing in the second inning with a left hip impingement.

Darin Ruf led off Monday’s game with a homer to left and two batters later, Buster Posey launched a solo shot to right. Thairo Estrada led off the fourth with a solo blast to left and also hit a two-run homer to left-center in the fifth.

Freeland has been solid at Coors Field this season, and excellent in his last six starts, posting a 2.91 ERA. But his command lost its compass Monday and he needed 92 pitches (55) strikes to get through his four-plus innings.

With an 88-50 record, the Giants lead the National League West and own the best record in the majors. They showed why on Monday, bullying the Rockies with 15 hits. The Giants’ 206 homers are their most in a season since they hit a franchise-best 235 homers in 2001.

Gausman was not only precise on the mound — he threw 98X pitches, 75 for strikes — he also helped himself at the plate. In the Giants’ two-run fourth, Gausman fouled off a bunt attempt and then swung away against Freeland, hitting a chopper past drawn-in the drawn-in McMahon for an RBI single. Gausman, who’s batting .200, owns nine of the 17 hits by Giants pitchers this season.

Monday marked Gausman’s first time pitching at Coors Field — in front of fans — since he’s been in the majors. He made three starts vs. Colorado last season, going 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA, and two of those starts were at Coors. But because of the pandemic, there were no fans in the stands. And though he was selected to this year’s All-Star Game in Denver, he didn’t pitch because he had made a start the day before the All-Star break.

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