Team USA crushes Rockies in dominant WBC tuneup performance

The Rockies gave us a glimmer of hope after taking a 4-3 lead in the fourth, but the wheels fell off after that as Team USA rattled off 11 unanswered runs.

Rockies starter Kyle Freeland was cruising through the first inning before surrendering a mammoth solo shot to Yankees star outfielder Aaron Judge.

Rockies catcher Braxton Fulford filled in for Hunter Goodman, who was scratched from the original lineup posted on MLB.com earlier in the day.

Fulford doubled off Ryan Yarbrough in the second inning and came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Kyle Karros.

Rockies No. 16 prospect Gabriel Hughes ran into trouble in the top of the fourth after walking the first two batters.

PCA made him pay with runners on the corners and two outs, singling up the middle to give Team USA a 2-1 lead. Warren Schaeffer went to his bullpen, bringing in T.J. Shook, whose very first pitch resulted in a passed ball that allowed another Team USA run.

Shook got Bobby Witt Jr. to line out to left to end the inning.

Clayton Kershaw is heading into retirement but wanted to pitch in the World Baseball Classic before doing so. Rockies outfielder Mickey Moniak took him deep in the fourth inning to pull the Rockies within one.

Rockies farmhand Carson Skipper came in to relieve Kershaw and surrendered a two-run home run to Karros, giving the Rockies a one-run lead.

So you're saying there's a chance?

Hughes returned to pitch the fifth inning for Colorado—a cool caveat of spring training. Colorado should have escaped the inning 1-2-3, but a throwing error at first by T.J. Rumfield put Schwarber on and led to a two-run shot by Alex Bregman, putting Team USA back in front.

Team USA exploded for five runs in the sixth inning and four in the eighth, and Colorado couldn't muster the firepower to mount a comeback.

News and notes from Colorado's 14-4 loss to Team USA.

• Rockies No. 1 prospect and MLB No. 24 Ethan Holliday subbed into the game in the fourth inning for Team USA at shortstop. His father and former Rockies great Matt Holliday is one of Team USA's two hitting coaches. The younger Holliday walked in the sixth inning.

• Seth Halvorsen finally had a clean inning, including a nasty wipeout slider that struck out Alex Bregman. The flamethrower gave up one hit and one walk in his lone inning of work.

• Freeland pitched just one inning in his spring training debut, allowing one run on two hits while striking out one.

Colorado returns to Cactus League action tomorrow afternoon, with Michael Lorenzen set to take the mound against the Milwaukee Brewers.