A nagging apprehension still nibbled at the Rockies on Sunday morning, easily explained by seven seasons without even a hint at the postseason, six of them on the losing side of even. If hope dies by annual installments in Colorado, it finds life in a flash.
Kyle Freeland, the Rockies’ rookie southpaw, saw so many summers tick away into the trivial while growing up in Denver, but with every weak ground ball he forced from the Pittsburgh Pirates‘ lineup Sunday, any leftover despair this season faded.
In a 13-3 blowout victory, with 40,118 fans at Coors Field hanging in the sunshine, the Rockies blasted back into serious consideration.