Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black has a few words of advice for fans who like to partake in their favorite beverages at Denver establishments prior to home games this season at Coors Field.
“With the pitch clock, you are going to see games like today that are well-pitched, very few walks and it (the game) is going to move,” Black said after Colorado’s 1-0 victory against Washington on Thursday afternoon in the Rockies’ 2023 home opener.
The Rox-Nationals contest lasted a mere 2 hours and 18 minutes with the pitching staffs for both teams combining to issue just three walks while amassing 17 strikeouts.
Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black offers a suggestion to revelers planning to attend home games.
“And if you’re out on Blake Street (Coors Field is located at 20th Blake in downtown Denver), you’re on Wazee (another street bordering Coors Field), having ‘one more,’ you might miss a couple of innings; you really are,” the manager said.
“That 6:40 (p.m.) game, a lot of times, we’ll see the crowd at first pitch, and at 7:30, we’ve got a capacity crowd. That ‘one more’ might have to be a little bit earlier,” added Black as media chuckled in response to his post-game comments on the topic.
During the session with media, Black also alluded to the “Colorado-Colorado” connection in regards to a pair of local pitchers who helped combine for the six-hit shutout — starting hurler Kyle Freeland and closer Pierce Johnson.
Freeland is a Denver native and graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School while Johnson, who also is a Denver native, is a product of Faith Christian High School in Arvada.
“The beauty about today, you’re talking about a Colorado starter and a Colorado closer,” Black said of the pair. “Isn’t that cool? You’ve heard me speak of that over the years about Kyle’s place on this team and now here comes Pierce, (relief pitcher) Lucas Gilbreath and others who have come from Colorado.
“For me, it was super great to see a bookend of Kyle and Pierce on Opening Day and what this means to our fans, and our team and our state. It’s good stuff.”
Freeland, a left-hander, and Johnson, a right-hander, also spoke about the Colorado-Colorado connection.
“It’s kind of a formula that Schmitty (Colorado general manager Bill Schmidt) put together to bring Colorado guys back home and, using that formula and so far, it is working out,” said Freeland after tossing 6.2 shutout innings and allowing just four hits against the Nats to up his record to 2-0 on the season.
“Myself, Gilbreath, now we’ve got Pierce in the mix. It’s great to see him getting his first two saves right out of the gate, one in San Diego, one here. It’s awesome. Hopefully, he can keep tacking them on.”
Added Johnson, who retired Washington in order in the ninth while fanning two: “I think that’s a unique story, right? A Colorado guy started it and a Colorado guy finished it. I’m truly honored to be in that position.”
Johnson now has both of the Rockies’ saves on the mound in the first week of the campaign.
“Being able to do it in a place where I used to come and watch games growing up and all my family and friends are here. I can’t even put it in words.”