Kyle Freeland and Victor Vodnik combined on a six-hitter as the visiting Colorado Rockies blanked the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 on Tuesday to snap an eight-game losing streak.
Freeland (3-12) allowed just five hits over 7 1/3 innings. He struck out two, walked two and coaxed three double-play grounders.
Vodnik got the last five outs to earn his third save.
Colorado registered just its second shutout of the season — and both came against the Cardinals.
Hunter Goodman hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning to provide all the offense the Rockies needed.
Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore (6-10) allowed three runs on four hits and one walk in four-plus innings. He struck out three batters, all in the first inning.
St. Louis first baseman Willson Contreras left the game after five innings with a right foot contusion, which he sustained when he was hit by a pitch.
The Cardinals had won four of their previous five games.
Rain delayed the start of the game for 41 minutes. Brendan Donovan and Ivan Herrera hit singles to start the bottom of the first inning, but Freeland defused the situation by inducing a double-play grounder from Contreras.
Liberatore retired the first nine batters he faced. Tyler Freeman hit a leadoff single in the fourth inning but was thrown out trying to steal second base.
That cost Colorado a run, as Ezequiel Tovar followed with a single before Goodman hit his 23rd homer of the year to put the Rockies up 2-0.
Colorado increased the lead to 3-0 in the fifth inning. Brenton Doyle walked and went to third on Kyle Karros’ single that ended Liberatore’s night. Kyle Farmer hit a one-out RBI single off Matt Svanson.
Victor Scott II and Donovan singled to start the St. Louis sixth inning, but Herrera grounded into a double play as the rally fizzled.
The Cardinals’ Thomas Saggese hit a one-out single in the eighth inning before Scott walked. Vodnik replaced Freeland and struck out Donovan and Herrera to end the threat.
Nolan Gorman led off the bottom of the ninth with a double, but Vodnik retired the next three batters to close out the game.
The teams will play the decisive game of the three-game series on Wednesday afternoon.
–Field Level Media
