Colorado kids live up to the hype in Rockies-Blue Jays series finale

It's not often you get to see two Colorado natives face off on the mound against each other in a Major League Baseball game.

That's exactly what happened in Colorado's series finale against the Blue Jays, where Denver native Kyle Freeland, a Thomas Jefferson High School alumnus, and Centennial native Kevin Gausman, who attended Grandview High School in Aurora, faced off on the mound.

Gausman ultimately held the advantage in the matchup.

He was incredible, to say the least. He struck out Rockies' Hunter Goodman, Willi Castro, and Jordan Beck twice each. Gausman finished the game allowing no runs on two hits while striking out 10 batters in six innings of work, lowering his season ERA to 0.75.

Gausman continued his strong performance against Colorado, last pitching against them on August 6, 2025. He pitched seven innings, giving up one run while striking out eight as Toronto defeated the Rockies 20-1 at Coors Field.

Freeland, on the other hand, pitched five innings in the game, allowing one run on five hits, with one walk and six strikeouts. He has been a solid starter for the Rockies so far this season, boasting a 2.89 ERA.

Colorado's newfound aggressive base running paid off in the eighth inning, beginning with Kyle Karros getting hit by a pitch. Manager Warren Schaeffer then played the speed card by inserting Jake McCarthy as a pinch runner.

McCarthy swiped second base and scored on an RBI single by Troy Johnston, who then stole second base and advanced to third on a wild pitch himself. Colorado couldn't bring Johnston in from third, but the team's aggressiveness is showing positive results early on.

Tyler Freeman, who was recently activated from the 10-day IL due to lower back inflammation, made a successful return in the 10th inning. The utility player delivered a go-ahead RBI single up the middle, driving in Brenton Doyle and giving the Rockies a 2-1 lead, which ultimately proved to be the final score after Jimmy Herget closed out the Blue Jays in the bottom half of the inning.