Major League Baseball returns to the Mile High City for the first time in 2023 as the Colorado Rockies host the Washington Nationals for their home opener in LoDo. The Rockies started their season with back-to-back wins against the powerhouse San Diego Padres only to fall into a four game losing streak—including a brutal two game mini-sweep by the Los Angeles Dodgers—to round out their first road trip. Now that the Rockies are back in their own friendly confines, they look to right the ship. A four-game series against the rebuilding 1-5 Nationals with one of the lowest payrolls in the league might be just what they need to build momentum.
On the bump for the Nationals is the young right-handed pitcher Josiah Gray. Gray did not have a fun first outing against the Atlanta Braves. In five innings of work he allowed five earned runs on seven hits with two walks. He gave up three home runs. This will be Gray’s second career start at Coors Field, where he previously pitched 5 1⁄3 innings with a 5.06 ERA. This season Gray is throwing the same five pitches as last year—four seam fastball, sinker, cutter, slider, curveball—but interesting threw his curveball more than any other pitch in his first start.
The hometown kid for the hometown team, Kyle Freeland will be on the mound for the Rockies this afternoon. Freeland had a strong and efficient outing against the Padres his first time out this season. He threw six shutout innings against a strong offense, only giving up three hits and one walk. He also made a defensive play that is already an astounding—dare I say “Arenado-esque”—highlight of the Rockies’ young season.
First Pitch: 2:10 PM MDT
TV: AT&T Sports Net Rocky Mountain; MLB.tv
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM; KNRV 1150 (Spanish)
Lineups:
We’ve arrived in Colorado.#NATITUDE pic.twitter.com/IWaUMuC1vi
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) April 6, 2023
Coors Field pic.twitter.com/n3e2jorHIt
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) April 6, 2023
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