Pinch-hitter Tyler Freeman singled home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning as the visiting Colorado Rockies earned a 2-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday afternoon.
Freeman, who activated from the injured list before the game, singled to center against left-hander Brendon Little (0-1) to score Brenton Doyle from second base as the Rockies won two of the three games in the series.
Right-hander Jimmy Herget pitched a perfect 10th to earn his first save. Left-hander Brennan Bernardino (1-0) pitched a perfect ninth to earn the win.
Toronto wasted a strong start from Kevin Gausman, who went six scoreless innings while allowing two hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts over six innings.
The Blue Jays took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a Davis Schneider single against left-hander Kyle Freeland but left the bases loaded. Myles Straw looped a single to left, George Springer walked with one out and Schneider poked his RBI single to right.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was hit by a pitch to load the bases before the rally was snuffed on a strikeout and a popup.
Gausman retired the first 12 batters he faced while striking out six. Ezequiel Tovar opened the fifth by completing an 11-pitch at-bat with a single to left to become Colorado’s first runner.
Tovar slid in safely to second on TJ Rumfield’s fielder’s choice grounder to third. Gausman worked out of the inning with two strikeouts and a grounder to third that Kazuma Okamoto played off his stomach.
Freeland allowed one run on five hits and one walk with six strikeouts in five innings before Antonio Senzatela took over in the sixth.
Toronto’s Tyler Rogers survived Rumfield’s single in the seventh with help from second baseman Ernie Clement, who grabbed Jordan Beck’s grounder up the middle and forced pinch runner Ryan Ritter with a nifty behind-the-back toss to shortstop Andres Gimenez.
Brett Sullivan followed with a single that put runners at the corner before the inning ended on a groundout.
Colorado tied the game in the eighth against right-hander Tommy Nance. Kyle Karros walked and pinch runner Jake McCarthy stole second. Tyler Johnston drilled an RBI single to left, stole second and took third on a wild pitch with one out. Willi Castro walked and Mason Fluharty replaced Nance to squelch the rally with two strikeouts.
