Rockies avoid equaling ’24 White Sox with win over Angels

Tyler Freeman had three hits, one in a four-run fifth inning, and the Colorado Rockies beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-6 in Denver on Friday night.Bradley Blalock (2-5) got the win despite five sh

Rockies avoid equaling ’24 White Sox with win over Angels

Tyler Freeman had three hits, one in a four-run fifth inning, and the Colorado Rockies beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-6 in Denver on Friday night.

Bradley Blalock (2-5) got the win despite five shaky innings and Victor Vodnik picked up his ninth save for Colorado (42-112), which surpassed the win total of the 2024 Chicago White Sox.

The Rockies need one win in the final eight games to avoid tying the 1962 New York Mets for most losses by an NL team.

Christian Moore and Denzer Guzman homered and Jo Adell, Nolan Schanuel and Taylor Ward had two hits each for Los Angeles. The Angels (69-85) have lost eight straight.

Colorado trailed 6-3 heading into the bottom of the fifth but rallied to go ahead. Freeman and Mickey Moniak singled, Hunter Goodman walked to load the bases and Blaine Crim moved everyone up with a sacrifice fly.

Brenton Doyle hit a two-run double to end Mitch Farris’ night, stole third and scored on Ezequiel Tovar’s sacrifice fly to put the Rockies in front.

Farris (1-2) gave up seven runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Colorado took the lead in the first. Freeman doubled and scored on Goodman’s one-out triple to center and Crim drove in Goodman with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.

Los Angeles responded in the second against Blalock. Adell singled and Moore followed with his seventh home run of the season. After a groundout, Guzman homered to left on a full count to put the Angels ahead.

The Rockies tied it in the bottom of the frame on Freeman’s two-out single to right but the Angels answered in the fifth.

Guzman led off with a walk, went to third on a single by Bryce Teodosio, who took second on the throw to third. Schanuel doubled to the gap in right-center field to drive in both runners, and he eventually scored on Yoan Moncado’s sacrifice fly.

Blalock allowed six runs on eight hits in five innings but was saved from a loss by a rally in the bottom of the inning.