DENVER (AP) 鈥� Kyle Freeland stepped off the mound and tipped his cap to the cheering fans and then in the direction of his family.
Just a brief pause to soak in the moment before returning right back to work.
Freeland, the left-handed pitcher who grew up going to games at Coors Field, became the all-time leader in innings pitched .
The Denver native got Luis Rengifo to fly out in the fifth inning to take over the top spot. That first out to center put Freeland at 1,312 2/3 innings for his career and one-third ahead of Aaron Cook, the sinkerball specialist who notched 1,312 1/3 innings for Colorado from 2002-11.
Freeland received an ovation and made sure to appreciate the moment 鈥� just like former Rockies manager Bud Black once instructed.
鈥淚 kind of thought of Buddy, that he鈥檇 love for me to tip the cap,鈥� Freeland said after the Brewers finished off a three-game sweep with a 12-4 win Sunday. 鈥淚 know that he would have probably told me, 鈥楬ey, make sure you tip your cap to the fans out there for their support of you over the years.鈥� I made sure I found my family to tip my cap to them, too.鈥�
Freeland grew up watching Cook go to work at Coors Field and trying to solve the hitter friendly park.
To be able to break a Rockies record belonging to Cook? It just makes it even more meaningful.
鈥淏eing a Denver kid, it鈥檚 kind of crazy,鈥� said Freeland, who went five innings Sunday and allowed three runs in a no-decision. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if it鈥檚 fully soaked in yet. It鈥檚 one of those things that I never would have thought that I鈥檇 be standing here talking to you guys about, being an all-time innings pitched leader for the Rockies.鈥�
Freeland was taken with the eighth overall pick by Colorado in the 2014 first-year player draft. The 33-year-old made his major league debut on April 7, 2017, in a win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He leads the team in games started (242), quality starts (112) and now innings pitched (1,313 1/3). He’s also second in strikeouts (989) and fourth in wins (66).
In April 2022, Freeland signed a five-year extension that runs through the 2026 season. He has a player option for 2027 if he logs 170 innings this season.
鈥淲hat a long career he鈥檚 had,鈥� Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said. 鈥淭o set a franchise record like that, it takes a lot of durability, a lot of resilience, a lot of success. Hats off to Kyle Freeland for that huge milestone. It was a special moment.鈥�
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