ANAHEIM, Calif. (Jul. 31) \u2014 A Brenton Doyle<\/a><\/strong> homer in the eighth inning, combined with strong pitching performances from Kyle Freeland<\/a><\/strong>, Tyler Kinley<\/a><\/strong>, and Victor Vodnik<\/a><\/strong> led the Colorado Rockies<\/a> past the Los Angeles Angels<\/a>, 2\u20131, Wednesday night.<\/p>\n Freeland scattered six hits across seven innings, allowing one run while striking out six. \u201cFreeland is a pretty good pitcher,\u201d Angels manager Ron Washington<\/a><\/strong> told reporters in the postgame press conference. \u201cHe kept us off-balance tonight, so tip your cap to that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s probably as good as we\u2019ve seen all year,\u201d Rockies manager Bud Black<\/a><\/strong> said of Freeland\u2019s performance, specifically referring to his fastball location. \u201cAll starting pitchers, depending on their stuff, have to pitch in, but especially Kyle.\u201d He added that Freeland\u2019s strength over the years is using his fastball inside to right-handers. Black concluded, \u201cHe\u2019s confident doing that. Tonight showed what can happen when he hits that inside corner against a heavy-laden right-handed lineup.\u201d<\/p>\n Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar<\/a><\/strong> extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a one-out single in the top of the first off Angels starting pitcher Davis Daniel<\/strong><\/a>. A two-out walk by third baseman Ryan McMahon<\/a><\/strong> put runners on first and second for designated hitter Kris Bryant<\/a><\/strong>, who dumped a single to shallow left. Tovar scored easily, giving the Rockies a 1\u20130 lead. The Angels tied the game with one out in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a homer to right-center by catcher Logan O\u2019Hoppe<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Angels relievers Jose Marte<\/a><\/strong> and Mike Baumann<\/a><\/strong> tossed a scoreless sixth and seventh, respectively. Freeland did the same, although he had to get out of a jam in the seventh. Consecutive two-out singles to left by O\u2019Hoppe and shortstop Zach Neto<\/a><\/strong> brought pitching coach Darryl Scott<\/a><\/strong> to the mound. Freeland responded by striking out designated hitter Brandon Drury<\/a><\/strong> to end the inning.<\/p>\n With one out in the top of the eighth, Rockies center fielder Brenton Doyle clobbered a thigh-high Hans Crouse<\/a><\/strong> slider. The towering 108.6-mph blast to left soared 431 feet into the left-field seats and gave the Rockies a 2\u20131 lead. It was Doyle\u2019s 11th home run and 19th extra-base hit for July. Additionally, it was his 30th hit of the month, bringing his July average to .333 (30-for-90). \u201cIt\u2019s incredible,\u201d Freeland said of Doyle\u2019s performance. \u201c(Brenton) coming up in the clutch right there is absolutely amazing. It won us the ballgame tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n Rockies lefty Tyler Kinley was warming in the left-field bullpen when Doyle smashed the go-ahead dinger. \u201cI probably had the best view in the house,\u201d Kinley said, \u201cbecause it came right over my head in the bullpen.\u201d Kinley faced right fielder Jo Adell<\/a><\/strong> first, putting him in an 0\u20132 hole before walking him. A sacrifice bunt by second baseman Michael Stefanic<\/a><\/strong> put Adell on second with one out and the top of the Angels\u2019 order coming up. But Kinley struck out first baseman Nolan Schanuel<\/a><\/strong> and pinch-hitter Mickey Moniak<\/a><\/strong> \u2014 who replaced Luis Rengifo<\/a><\/strong> with an 0\u20131 count after an injury \u2014 to end the threat.<\/p>\n \u201cI just couldn\u2019t let that guy score,\u201d Kinley said. \u201cGot ahead of Adell then ended up walking him. Can\u2019t go from 0\u20132 to 3\u20132 there to walk him. But once he got on, I liked my chances against who we had coming up in the order. I knew how we were going to attack them.\u201d<\/p>\n Kinley also said that the Doyle home run got them \u201cfired up,\u201d but he couldn\u2019t celebrate for long. \u201cIt\u2019s always ironic when you’re warming up to come in a game and we hit a big go-ahead home run,\u201d Kinley explained. \u201cOn the inside, you want to jump and scream and you’re fired up and whatnot, but I gotta stay composed because I gotta come in to do a job. Otherwise, I erase what he just did.\u201d<\/p>\n After Matt Moore<\/a><\/strong> retired the Rockies in order in the top of the ninth, Victor Vodnik came in to close the game. Rockies relievers have struggled in this situation multiple times in 2024. Vodnik did not. Right fielder Taylor Ward<\/a><\/strong> lined to the right fielder before center fielder Kevin Pillar<\/a><\/strong> whiffed and O\u2019Hoppe grounded to short.<\/p>\n \u201cKyle did a really good job,\u201d a smiling Vodnik relayed, \u201cand (Kinley) too. It felt really good to be out there \u2014 it\u2019s been a minute since I\u2019ve been out there, and I\u2019m glad I had the opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n Freeland, Kinley, and Vodnik shut the Angels down, combining to allow six hits while striking out nine and walking one. The lone run came on the O\u2019Hoppe home run. Freeland faced the minimum through the first four innings despite giving up two hits. The first baserunner was erased by a 6\u20134\u20133 double play. Freeland picked the other runner off. Additionally, Freeland and Kinley both had a runner reach scoring position late \u2014 Freeland in the seventh, Kinley in the eighth \u2014 but escaped without allowing him to score.<\/p>\n From the second inning onward, the Rockies did not notch more than one hit in any inning. In the second, Elias Diaz<\/a><\/strong> hit a one-out double, but a liner to third by Jake Cave<\/a><\/strong> and a grounder to second by Charlie Blackmon<\/a><\/strong> left him stranded. Brendon Rodgers grounded a one-out single up the middle in the fourth but advanced no further thanks to a flyout to center by Michael Toglia<\/a><\/strong> and a groundout to third by Diaz. A leadoff single by Cave in the fifth went for naught due to a foul fly by Blackmon, a fly to right by Tovar, and a strikeout by Doyle. Perhaps the most frustrating situation came after McMahon led off the sixth with a double. Two straight groundouts to the left side forced him to stay at second, making for unproductive outs before Toglia struck out.<\/p>\n \u201cAbsolutely love his defense. And his offense this year, he\u2019s turned an extreme corner from last year to this year, showing that he can hit for average and power. It\u2019s fantastic to see.\u201d \u2014 Kyle Freeland on Brenton Doyle<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThat was a big swing. (Crouse) has good stuff. We don\u2019t see this team often, a little bit in spring training. Here\u2019s a fella with a mid-90s fastball and pretty good slider. (Brenton) got a slider he could handle, and that ball was hit hard. That ball was crushed.<\/em> That was\u2026that was deep.\u201d \u2014 Bud Black on Brenton Doyle\u2019s home run off Hans Crouse<\/em><\/p>\n Vodnik hails from Rialto, California, about an hour to the northeast of Anaheim, near San Bernardino. He grew up going to Angels games, this game was like pitching at home for him. \u201cMy family were big Angel fans growing up,\u201d he said, \u201cso it was pretty cool to pitch here versus these guys.\u201d Vodnik had \u201ca lot of family, a lot of friends\u201d in attendance. He said pitching in front of them was \u201ca lot of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n The only RBI for the Angels came on the O\u2019Hoppe home run in the fifth inning. That was the sixth RBI by an Angels catcher in the series. The rest of the team combined has five.<\/p>\n Freeland (3\u20134) earned the win, with Crouse (4\u20132) taking the loss in relief. Vodnik notched his fourth save of the season.<\/p>\n The Rockies (39\u201370) and Angels (47\u201361) will play the final game of their three-game set Wednesday evening. Right-hander Ryan Feltner<\/a><\/strong> (1\u201310, 4.99 ERA) will take the hill for the Rockies against Angels righty Carson Fulmer<\/a><\/strong> (0\u20132, 3.77 ERA). First pitch will be at 6:38 pm Pacific\/7:38 pm Mountain.<\/p>\nRockies \u2013 Angels Game Summary<\/h3>\n
Kinley Prevents Rally<\/h4>\n
Vodnik Nails It Down<\/h4>\n
What Went Right for the Rockies<\/h3>\n
Pitching<\/h4>\n
What Went Wrong for the Rockies<\/h3>\n
Stringing Hits Together<\/h4>\n
Quotes<\/h3>\n
Quick Hits<\/h3>\n
Looking Ahead<\/h3>\n
Main Photo:<\/h4>\n