Díaz's HR, Freeland's arm key Rockies' 2-0 win over Pirates

DENVER (AP) — Kyle Freeland pitched five scoreless innings before leaving with an apparent leg injury suffered while running the bases, Elías Díaz homered and the Colorado Rockies beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-0 on Monday.

Yonathan Daza had an RBI triple and an over-the-shoulder catch of Erik Gonzalez’s deep flyball to the center field warning track in a game dubbed “Opening Day 2.0” after the lifting of all pandemic-induced attendance restrictions at 50,000-seat Coors Field.

The Pirates had six hits, all singles. Four Colorado relievers worked an inning each, with Daniel Bard getting the last three outs for his 11th save in 16 chances.

Freeland (1-2) allowed three hits and struck out seven in his seventh start of the season. He missed the first two months with a shoulder strain suffered in spring training.

Freeland reached on pitcher Tyler Anderson’s fielding error in the bottom of the fifth and apparently injured his leg sliding into third base on Daza’s double.

Anderson (3-8) went five innings and allowed two runs on five hits — including Díaz’s third homer of the season, a solo shot in the fifth — against his former team. Anderson has lost his last five decisions.

BACK TO NORMAL

The “re-opening” pageantry included a flyover by four Air Force fighter jets, pregame introductions for both teams and the return of tossing of bags of peanuts into the crowd from an upper-deck radio booth during the seventh-inning stretch. It was the first game without restricted attendance at Coors Field since Sept. 29, 2019, against the Milwaukee Brewers.

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source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/D-az-s-HR-Freeland-s-arm-key-Rockies-2-0-win-16280377.php