Story time: Shortstop powers Rox past Crew

Freeland fires 6 1/3 scoreless innings; Arenado flashes leather, scores two runs

May 12th, 2018

DENVER -- Coors Field has yet to turn friendly for the Rockies, but certainly feels at home there.
Story launched two home runs and an RBI double and had all of the Rockies' RBIs as the Rockies beat the Brewers, 4-0, and ended a three-game losing streak Saturday night.
Not only does Story have eight of his 10 homers at Coors, but he has a .339 batting average and 1.397 OPS at home.
"I love it," said Story, who had his first multi-homer game since Aug. 16 against the Braves, and the sixth of his career. "It's a great place to hit, for sure. I feel like I can see the ball good here, good hitter's eye.
"And there's just something about being at home. You get to sleep in your own bed, get in your own little routine. It's just comfortable."
Rockies hitters can sleep a little better based on the last two games -- an 11-10, 10-inning loss to the Brewers, in which Story drove in four runs, and Saturday's nine-hit attack. The winning effort, which improved the Rockies' mark at home to 7-10 -- they have a 22-18 overall mark -- represented what could be the beginning of an offensive awakening. After hitting .227 through their first 40 games, the Rockies have gone 25-for-77 (.325) in their past two games.
The Rockies' No. 3 hitter, , helped set up Story's run production, all of which came with two outs.
Arenado flashes speed, leather vs. Brewers
Story followed Arenado's first-inning triple by driving the first pitch he saw from Brewers starter , a 73.4 mph curveball, a projected 410 feet to left field for a 2-0 lead. The play was reviewed by umpiring crew chief Ted Barrett, but because the ball had cleared the wall before bouncing off a fan's glove and back onto the field, the call stood.

In the third, Story doubled following an Arenado double to give the Rockies a 3-0 lead. Story's second homer in the fifth, also off Suter, traveled an estimated 413 feet into the left-field stands

"I showed some more frustration today than I have in the past," Suter said. "When one guy beats you three times, it's a little bit frustrating."
Arenado also shook off his third error of the season -- he misplayed 's second-inning bouncer -- by displaying his five-time Gold Glove Award-winning form on two occasions, a sliding grab and a break dance-style spin in the fourth, and a barehanded play on in the seventh to make reliever 's one-batter outing a successful one.

It all helped Rockies lefty starter (3-4), who pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings, giving up four hits and striking out six. The starters have generally pitched well, but Freeland's work came after , and were roughed up during the homestand, which can finish at .500 if the Rockies defeat the Brewers on Sunday.

"You want to be the guy who steps up and gets a team win, gets a new trend, starts a new streak," Freeland said.
Freeland fell short of pitching seven full innings for the fourth straight start, in part because of four walks, including two with one out in the seventh to lead manager Bud Black to pull him. But Freeland battled the traffic to Black's liking with his pitch mix.
"Two things have made Kyle turn the corner from his first few starts: fastball in, and a better-breaking slider," Black said. "And a few more changeups. They've been functional. He got a strikeout with a changeup tonight, so a more accomplished three-pitch mix."
The Rockies completed their fifth shutout of the season. Black used closer , who suffered his second blown save in 16 chances Friday night when he gave up a ninth-inning two-run homer to force extra innings, in the ninth inning Saturday even though it wasn't a save situation.
"Especially after the game yesterday, it was just as close a game -- 4-0 felt like it was 1-0," Davis said. "I wanted to get out there. Freeland has been pitching great. He did such a good job, and for us to keep it at zero, that was good."

HE SAID IT
"I think it's been an interesting start. I think guys are feeling like they're not doing what they're capable of doing, and yet we're still playing pretty good. It shows what this team is about." -- Arenado, on the Rockies after 40 games
UP NEXT
Righty (4-4, 4.24 ERA) is on a roll, having allowed just one earned run in his last 20 innings (three starts), with 25 strikeouts and three walks. He will start Sunday's finale against the Brewers at 1:10 p.m. MT. Brewers prospect has been called up and will make his first Major League start opposite Gray.