The Top 10 Rockies Moments of 2018 | MLB.com
If you hadn’t heard, the Rockies secured a Postseason berth on Friday night for the second year in a row—the first time in franchise history they’ll be playoff-bound in back-to-back seasons. As such, it’s as good a time as any to take a look back at the ten most exciting moments of the 2018 season, and Thomas Harding is here to help.
There’s a lot of clutch plays and big-time performances to look over—including what I think is the biggest of them all, DJ LeMahieu’s walk-off home run against the Diamondbacks on Sept. 12th—but let’s not forget this gem from early April when Nolan Arenado set a fighting tone for the season, literally:
It feels like forever ago, but Nolan and the Rockies made a statement that day to the rest of the league that they should be taken seriously this season. What do you think of these moments? Any others that should have made the list instead?
Rocktober once more: Rox secure playoff spot | MLB.com
It’s official, the Rockies are Postseason bound and will “Defend Rocktober” once again. Thomas Harding brings you the coverage of the big win from Friday night, and highlights some of the game’s defining moments. Kyle Freeland did not bring his A-game, but continued to execute critical pitches when he needed them most. Despite giving up a career-high eleven hits, Kyle limited the Nationals to just two runs over six innings.
The offense brought their boomsticks and knocked out four home runs—including David Dahl’s fifth straight game with a bomb—and the Rockies finished the night off by popping champagne and watching fireworks burst over LoDo. For the second year in a row, our hometown heroes will be playing baseball in October.
Speaking of partying, Nick Groke has the low-down on the Rockies’ postgame celebration and how various players welcomed Postseason baseball back to Colorado in style. CarGo found himself covered in shaving cream and champagne, Bud Black was handing out hugs, and Nolan was rocking the ski-goggles—images that will never get old.
However, Kyle Freeland—the winning pitcher—was having trouble winding down. As Groke explains, he kept referencing back to a key moment in Friday night’s game and was processing the outcome out loud. It’s a unique moment and pretty cool that we get to be a part of it with the hometown kid. Or as Kyle says, “it’s incredible.”
Even as the playoff-berth celebration and clubhouse party ensued, one sentiment was clear: the goal isn’t to just make the Postseason, it’s for the Rockies to win their first ever division title. Patrick Saunders talked with multiple team leaders and trend setters and their voice was one-in-the-same:
“We want the West, no doubt,” Trevor Story said.
“The work’s not done,” ace southpaw Kyle Freeland noted.
“At this point, we want the division for sure,” Nolan Arenado added.
Yes, Saturday night’s game threw a wrench in spokes of the division title bicycle, but the Rockies have worked themselves out of trouble all year. It will come down to Sunday—game 162—and if the Dodgers and Rockies both win, a winner-take-all game between the division rivals on Monday for the NL West crown. Buckle up, Rockies fans.
Colorado Rockies: Kyle Freeland sets club single-season ERA mark | Rox Pile
In a season full of milestones, this one has to be my favorite. Kyle Freeland finished off his season by getting 18 outs on Friday night while giving up two runs. Over the whole year, he gave up 64 earned runs (P.S. he never gave up a single unearned run in 2018) over 202.1 innings for a sparkling 2.85 ERA—a new single-season record for the Colorado Rockies.
Jake Shapiro of Rox Pile breaks it down much more eloquently than I can, but there is something pretty special about Kyle—the homegrown talent out of Thomas Jefferson High School—now owning the record for the best season pitched in Rockies history. It’s what dreams are made of. Congratulations, Kyle!
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